Recipe: German Meatloaf

This meatloaf was very delicious and moist.  It has saurkraut and caraway seeds which made it taste a little sweet.  This makes a huge 2 lb. meatloaf so you may want to cut the recipe in half.  It was so big we renamed it "Bigfoot Meatloaf".  I had so much leftovers that I froze them and am going to serve them another time with roasted vegtables and homemade spatzle (which is a German egg noodle).

The saurkraut is only drained, not rinsed which adds that vinegar "bite" you'd expect with kraut and it really tastes good in this meatloaf.  I didn't use the rye breadcrumbs and substituted with plain breadcrumbs.  This was difficult to mix with a spoon so (eeew) I had to get my hands in there to mix properly.  The smell of this baking filled the house with wonderful smells.  Everyone was coming in the door saying "mmmm, what's for dinner?".  The kids really liked this meatloaf and cleaned their bowls.  I served it with boiled potatoes and corn on the cob.



This recipe is from "Heartland - The Best of the Old and the New from Midwest Kitchens" by Marcia Adams.  The book gives famous recipes from each state in the Midwest (i.e. this German Meatloaf was from Ohio).  I've flagged at least a dozen recipes to try like Old Fashioned Pot Roast, Chicken with Peanut & Chipoltle, Sweet Spareribs with Garlic, Cincinnati Chili and lots more.  I adore regional or local group cookbooks as the ingredients are usually what you can find locally and they're tried and true.

GERMAN MEATLOAF
from the book "Heartland - The Best of the Old and the New from Midwest Kitchens"
by Marcia Adams

2 cups soft unseeded rye bread crumbs (I used plain bread crumbs)

1 16-ounce can sauerkraut, drained (I used a 14oz. can)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon caraway seed/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons catsup or chili sauce (I used chili sauce)
2 pounds lean ground beef

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except the meat and mix well. Add the ground beef and mix thoroughly (I had to do this by hand to mix it properly). Pat into a thick, flat loaf approximately 10 inches long and 8 inches wide and place on a rack in a greased or foil-lined 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for 1 and 1/4 hours, or until nicely browned. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

For a printable version of this recipe go here.

Enjoy!



from the book "The Children's Hour - Science Fiction"
1953 The Spenser Press, Inc.