I’m not sure what this song has in common with meatloaf but stick with me. Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head and it just won’t go away? Of course you have, you’re my friends so you’d be like me, right?
This is the song I’ve had in my head:
Ma mere a coupé les poils de son nez pour faire un chapeau à la mode
la mode est passée, les poils sont usée ma mere n’a plus d’poil à son nez
It’s a song my sister came home with when she spent a summer in Belgium while she was in college. At least I think that’s where it comes from. I’ve known it for a long time, regardless where it started.
The song is about a mother who cut the hairs in her nose to make a stylish hat. The style changed and her poor mother had no more hairs in her nose. Okay, you can say it now, “She’s lost her mind.”
It did remind me of my mother and how much I miss her simple, everyday cooking. Often our dinners came from the back of a soup can – like this meatloaf. It literally takes less than 15 minutes to get it into the oven and then all you have to do is wait for it to finish cooking. Mom could cook brilliant meals but she also knew how to get a meal on the table that would feed a family of five for not a lot of money.
I chopped the onion and put it in the microwave for 3 minutes with a pat of butter because I think it helps the onion to melt into the meat during baking but my mother just added the onion raw. Then half a can of soup, some finely crushed cracker crumbs, and egg and some seasoning and it’s done. When I was looking for a loaf pan I found a meatloaf pan that I bought God knows when but had never used. Win! It’s one of those two piece ones where the fat drips through the holes into the bottom so the meatloaf doesn’t soak in fat drippings.
Every family has their own meatloaf recipe and this was my mother’s. Remember when meatloaf looked like this before it went into the oven? No, you probably don’t but this is what they looked like when I was young.
My father didn’t like any meatloaf and wouldn’t take a bite. That never bothered my mother but she always cooked him something separate to keep him happy. I really enjoyed it and it brought back nice memories of family dinners.
My grandmother always lived with us and she never spoke English. My (one-year younger) brother used to tie her apron strings to the back of the chair just to hear her curse in French. We’d all fall over laughing and she loved every minute of the attention. Little did we know when my grandmother would yell Baptême (BaTAME) and we thought she was cursing, the word was baptism. I have no idea why she said it and it makes me laugh still today whenever I say it. It just fits when you dump something on the floor.
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 1 pat butter
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- ½ cup finely crushed cracker crumbs (bread crumbs will work too)
- ½ can condensed cream of mushroom soup (You can use the other half to make gravy)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound minced (ground) beef
- Preheat oven to 185C/365F
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well blended and either place in a loaf pan or shape on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 1 hour
I’m saving this recipe and I WILL make it cause the tomato sauce/ketchup version never really appealed to me. I think I’ve made it once or twice in the last 10 years … if that. All I need is the ground beef. 🙂
Yes – I most definitely have gotten a song stuck in my head and it just wouldn’t budge out of it! Now I have the word Baptême (BaTAME) stuck in my head!
My mom used to make a similar meatloaf – she would make all these elaborate and complicated curries and cakes, but when it came to meatloaf she always kept it simple too!
Lol ! I don’t know this song but I know the sensation with singing an stupid song the whole day and can’t stop it !!
Your recipe looks terrific !
Lol, you tell such lovely stories Maureen…your poor grandmother :))
I used to love a good meat loaf & it sure brought back lots of memories for me too. So Thanks. These days I’m more inclined to make terrines, particularly for Christmas functions….some of them pretty fancy.
I do have to make several lasagne’s today so have plenty of top-shelf mince on hand. And since reading your lovely little tale, I just might pop a meatloaf into the oven along aside them.
Cheers!
Don’t feel sorry for my grandmother, she was the queen of the pisnock. I’ll have to tell you about that one day – scary. 🙂 She had hands like a dock worker. LOL
My mother made the worst meatloaf ever. It was so tried and tasteless – and I believe it is the reason I don’t care for ground beef today. However, my mother-in-law made an awesome meatloaf and I started making it for my “meat-loaf” loving man. Both my children love it too – love those family recipes – even if it is from my husbands family 🙂
Doesn’t matter what century this comes from, I’ll scoff this down happily any night of the week! 🙂 I love seeing other people’s meatloaf recipe. I’ve never tried making one with canned soup though! Thanks for the insight!
That’s very funny about your grandmother, your brother and her apron. I like meatloaf but I don’t have one of those two-dish tins so we eat it with all the fat drippings. I do like how this can be made very quickly and old recipes are just the best – easy, affordable and very family friendly xx
Love meatloaf!
HAHA! What a great song and delightful childhood memories.
My sister emailed me as soon as she read it and said, “You left out a line!!” I have fixed it. 🙂
Dear Maureen,
There are some recipes from yesteryear that just works so well with can soup if we want a shortcut! Chicken a la king, beef stroganoff. Love this meatloaf though it does look a bit like boarding school food 🙂
Usually when I see meatloaf, it is hard and firm, like a rock. Maybe that’s why I don’t eat meat? 😛
But yours looks juicy and tender, and with the gravy on top, super delicious!
Now I have a few regrets 😉
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
It’s the simple recipes that are the best isn’t it? My grandma always tells me how her mother (mother of 7) could feed the whole family plus any visitors with next to nothing. I’m working on that skill.
Don’t you love how food can evoke memories? I love your stories of your family – I think you should have tied Mrs Nosey Neighbour to her chair for reporting you to the Fun Police a couple of posts back. I love your meatloaf – although I’d be replacing the mushroom soup for maybe onion soup but I’m sure that would work too.
Now that’s a very strange song – nose hairs become a hat. O.K. 🙂 I’m with Nagi, it doesn’t matter which century it’s from. A good recipe is a good recipe! Growing up in the south, my mother used cream of mushroom soup to turn a boring dish into something delicious. I think she made this same meatloaf.
Last century meatloaf recipes are great! Alas, my mom’s meatloaf recipe was the exception — I never much liked hers. Blasphemy, I know, but that’s the way it is. So although I like meatloaf, it’s not one of the things I make often. This looks good–I should make it so I after I swoon with delight I can shout Baptême — giving it a new meaning. 😉
Imagine learning what it really meant after thinking all sorts of bad things. 🙂
What a beautiful story Maureen and what a great recipe!
I love hearing the stories behind foods as they brighten my day and is good to have such yesteryear memories!
I don’t have any problems with meatloaf myself and the faster it hits the table the better. Some heartfelt family memories there Maureen. I had no idea you were a Frenchie x
You didn’t? Canuck through and through at my place. 🙂
Aside from eating, my favorite thing about food is the way it conjures memories and people and places. Love it for that, just that, and it’s enough. 🙂
Your grandma sounds adooooorable…..I wish I could draw a heart here. Your meatloaf looks just as hearty. beautiful post.
This reminds me of my moms meatloaf, she made lots of this when I was young
At least you’ve got the whole loaf for yourself :). Aaaaah nothing better than sweet memories of mothers and grandmothers. But the song!! ewwwww really . Your mom sure was a clever, creative and frugal wife. The recipe is delish.
I’d have to be able to pronounce that song to get it in my head. 😉 But I do get songs stuck in my head – usually just one or two lines from a TV jingle or theme song, completely annoying.
I’m a big fan of meatloaf (though I never like saying ‘meatloaf’) – I’ll try your recipe the next time I get a craving for it!
I know! If meatloaf was called Boeuf Surprise, everyone would want it. 🙂
Awe! Family dinners are always the best, we get to hang out and talk to our family while having an awesome meal. Meatloaf are one of the great recipes a family share together. My mom always cook it in huge batch and freeze them in small servings. So we could have great food throughout the week 🙂
Mmm…perfect comfort food. I haven’t made meatloaf for a long time, time to change that!
LOLOL I am going to read this one to my mother, see if she has heard of it. lol
Yeah I agree meatloaf needs to have a prettier name. I have never tasted one but yours looks inviting.
I have to admit that meatloaf isn’t high on my food love list. My mom made it too, but for some reason there was always a hard boiled egg in it, whole! It would, of course get rubbery as the meat cooked because it was already hard boiled.
That’s the same Corning-ware pattern my mom had too.
Such a lovely childhood memory, Maureen. 🙂
My brother is obsessed with meatloaf, shall make especially for him for next weeks family dinner.