For me, meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food. This is a tender, kid friendly version we make at our house. The dehydrated potato flakes are an ideal substitute for traditional bread crumbs. They lend a softness that makes it easy for little mouths to handle. The lack of egg does makes these patties a bit delicate but they are still delicious and worth the gentle handling. It can be served with your sauce of choice on the side (which my kids prefer) or topped and placed in the oven for a speedy broil. Either way, they are a delicious staple to make in a jiffy.
1 pound lean ground beef
1/3 cup potato flakes
1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
2 Celery Stalks Diced
1/4 cup Ketchup or tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp no salt seasoning
Ketchup (or whatever) to top it off
Mix together by hand and form into 4 patties.
There are 3 different cooking options, but be sure to cook them till an internal temperature of at least 160′ using a meat thermometer.
Oven: Preheat oven to 350′. Placed formed patties on a parchment paper lined sheet pan or flatten the mixture in a square pan. Bake for 30 minutes.
Stovetop: Place the four patties in a large skillet and brown on both sides.
Crockpot: this recipe would likely be crockpot friendly. I have not tried it, but if you give it a shot let me know how it turns out. I would put it in a loaf pan raised off the bottom with canning rings. Set the crockpot to high and let it do it’s thing. Should take around three hours but check it with a meat thermometer regularly to be sure since I have not tested this one out.