January Menu + Mom's Meatloaf Recipe = SWOON 💓

Here's 10-days of breakfast, lunch, and dinner planned for you

Hello my friends,

I can’t really think of an unsexier food than meatloaf. While beef carpaccio, oysters on the half-shell, specialty cheeses and luscious pasta hold a particular romantic notion on our palettes (at least, for those of us who love said treats)… meatloaf… well, let’s just say he hasn’t been invited to any anniversary celebrations or New Years Eve parties in quite some time.

Meatloaf is like a work horse, prized much more its girth and heavy-lifting-efforts than for its poise.

But life is about much more than sexy, fancy foods. Those of us who find ourselves in the kitchen need work horses alongside us to do some of that heavy lifting. There’s a reason farmers are often associated with meat and potatoes. Meat and potatoes are their bread and butter.

Wait. Now my analogies are getting all mixed up.

You’ll always find me making my Mom’s meatloaf - especially in the winter. I’ll double… triple… quadruple my batches (heck, I’m not driving) so that meatloaf can easily be sliced for lunch, turned into roasted sandwiches with melted cheese, or even served cold for a quick-hit of sustenance.

While meatloaf may not look good in a bikini, life is about much more than that, surely. (Please say that’s true for all of us that wear the marks of birthing the next generation, please and thank you.)

May the power of the meatloaf sustain your winter bellies and satisfy you deeply!

Here’s my Momma’s recipe:

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My Mom’s Meatloaf

3 pounds ground beef

4 eggs

1 ½ cups rolled oats

1 onion, finely minced

2 teaspoons onion powder

⅓ cup ketchup

¼ cup Worchestire sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

2 tablespoons garlic seasoning salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Line two standard loaf pans with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Use your hands to mix together very well.

3. Divide the meat mixture evenly into the two standard loaf pans, pressing down to ensure the meat is packed in well. Shape the loaves slightly by pressing down on the edges to create a rounded top to the loaf.

4. Bake the meatloaves for 45 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Allow the meatloaf to sit for 5 minutes before cutting into thick slices and serving.

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While you’re focusing on meat & potatoes, tailoring foods to your family’s tastes, and cultivating a nourished table, allow me to take on the work for you of planning what’s for dinner (and breakfast… and lunch…). Even if all the meals planned on my menu aren’t a perfect fit for you, there’s 30 to choose from in each menu, so pick and use what works for you in real life.

Here’s 10-days of breakfast, lunch, and dinner to inspire your table in the coming weeks. Enjoy. As a quick reminder, we offer our paid newsletter supporters two menus each month.

Each printable menu will cover 10-days worth of seasonal meals and will include notes on when to mix sourdough, soak beans, etc. Recipes are linked to newsletters, blog posts, or YouTube videos, as applicable.

Also worth noting, every Cooking Community member also gets access to our menus over on our app. So whether you support The Elliot Homestead here or there, we’ve got you covered. Over in our Cooking Community, we offer 5 new recipes each month, along with instructional cooking videos for each one and an exclusive, private online social community of home-cooks.

Here’s a peek at what we’re cooking in our community this month!

This month, we’re focusing on soups in our Cooking Community. Look good? Join in!

Here’s the first installment of this month’s menu. I hope you enjoy!

For clickable links, download the PDF directly below: