Grandma's Meatloaf

Randall Schneider

This may be amusing, but this meatloaf recipe has been passed down through many generations. I remember when I was about seven years old, and we would go to my grandma's for any type of birthday. She would always bake two mammoth trays of meatloaf for everyone to eat before we even got to the main course.

Whenever I got the chance to help my grandma make the meatloaf, I would always love mashing all of the ingredients together with my bare hands. Every time I did, I made a mess, though, because I would always get carried away, and the egg and ketchup would gush out everywhere. My grandma would always just stand back and keep her comments to herself. When I looked at her to see if I was doing it right, she would just smile and nod in satisfaction at the enjoyment that I got from sticking my hands in the goopy slop.

This recipe was on my dad's side of the family, but I liked the meal so much that I wanted my mom to learn it so we could prepare it more often. So my dad's mom passed it down to my mom and taught her how to fix it.

One big reason why this meal is so special to me is because my dad grew up eating it and used to help make it when he was younger. The fact that my dad and I grew up enjoying the same thing is a comforting feeling for me. This recipe has been close to my family for a long time, and I plan to let my future wife know about it. And maybe one day I'll have a son who will enjoy it as much as my dad and I have.