Mancatcher Meatloaf

In the south, everyone's got a Bubba. Sometimes its your son, your husband, your dad, your brother. Great Southern tradition includes the phrase "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach". Well I don't know how true that is, but a good meal does have a tendency to make anyone a little more pleasant.

One of my favorites, this recipe has been handed down for over 4 generations in my family. Guaranteed to satisfy and tantalize any Bubba that has taken your fancy. In fact, it was the first dish I served up for my husband and he's had a hankering for it ever since. According to family lore, this dish was first made in an iron skillet, that was passed down with the recipe, over a camp fire somewhere in Kentucky in the late 1800's. Apparently one of my enterprising ancestors had a Bubba of her own that she wanted to impress with her fancy cooking she had learned while away with family in the North the summer before. While technology has made it a little easier to present to a hungry family, the ingredients are about the same with a little variation added from time to time.

Prep time: ½ hour
Cook time: 45 minutes give or take
Ingredients:

5 lbs. ground hamburger (for more spice add 1/2 lb. sausage ground up)
1 bell pepper (diced)
1 large diced tomato (can use 8 oz. can)
1 package of mushrooms sliced (can use two cans precooked)
2 tablespoons of garlic (or more to your liking)
2 large eggs
½ cup crushed saltine crackers (can use ½ cup ready oats)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Whistishire sauce
1 large onion diced (or 5 tablespoons minced onion seasoning)
3 tablespoons white vinegar (can use 2 or 3 pickles diced)
1 tablespoon salt (I prefer to use season salt)
½ cup shredded cheese (any variety, I prefer mozzarella)

Now the most important part of the recipe is the iron skillet, one of those Texas style skillets, at least 10 inches around. But if you cant get your hands on one of these, a 13X9 baking pan or a large broiling pan will work fine. I prefer the broiling pan because you can lay the meatloaf on top of the slotted lid and let the grease drain into the bottom of the pan, saves a lot of fuss (for those of you who don't know, most ovens come with one).

Ok here's what you do: preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you are using fresh and not canned ingredients you need to use a skillet to heat up the bell pepper, tomato and mushroom slices. Mix these all together and add the garlic and onion, heat until the onions turn clear (about 10 minutes) over medium heat. For those of us with less time on our hands, the precooked vegetables can simply be added in a large bowl to the meat and all the spices. Mix these up real well by kneading them into the ground hamburger meat like mixing biscuit dough. Then add the cheese, mix up again, then add the eggs and crackers. Save the Parmesan cheese for last. The meat should have a brownish tint and be firm enough to shape into a loaf shape without falling apart. If its kind of runny, add a little more crushed crackers until it firms up.

Pour the mixture into the pan you are going to use to cook it in the oven. The pan does not need to be greased. Shape the mixture into a loaf shape. If using the iron skillet, make it round and leave about an inch from the edge of the pan for the grease to run off into. Cook for about a half an hour or until the meat turns fairly brown. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and cook until completely done, about another 15 minutes. Test the middle of the loaf by sticking a fork in it to make sure it is thoroughly brown all the way through. Throw in a couple of side dishes, say some Green Beans and Mashed potatoes, and there you have it. A meat loaf guaranteed to satisfy any hungry Bubba at your table.

*Note: this dish is called man catcher meatloaf for a reason, i.e.: the importance of the iron skillet, if he can still get up and walk away after a meal like that, tradition says your supposed to hit him with the skillet, so you'll catch your man one way or the other with this dish. (not recommended for actual usage).