My Mama’s Frugal Meatloaf

My mom was an incredible cook!

She prepared delicious meals on such a strict budget.

Today, I made her classic meatloaf.

As an avid deer hunter, my dad provided much of our protein, for the winter months, with Venison.

I know there are animal lovers out there who would find this outrageous, but feeding a family of four on a firefighters salary in the ’70s and ’80s was very tough.

Without deer meat or fish, caught from local lakes, we would have starved.

Meatloaf was not one of my husband’s favorite meals, however, he changed his mind after trying my mom’s recipe.

Made with pantry staples, it is not only affordable, but is also hearty and delicious.

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES           COOK TIME: 45 MINUTES          SERVES: 8

For the meatloaf:

2 lbs. ground Venison (you can substitute the Venison for very lean ground beef)

2 eggs

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 stack crushed saltines (1/2 – 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup ketchup

2 T. yellow mustard

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 t. Nature’s seasoning

Sauce for top:  1/2 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup light brown sugar

Mix meat, eggs, onion, saltines, and seasoning ingredients thoroughly.

Place in a casserole dish and bake at 350º for about 30 minutes, then remove from oven.

In a small bowl, combine ketchup and brown sugar for the sauce.

Glaze over the meatloaf and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes more, until glaze has set.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes.

Serve.  Excellent with mashed potatoes.

Go to Recipe for Creamy Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

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Mama's Venison Meatloaf

My husband strongly disliked meatloaf, until he tried my mom's recipe.  Applying the sweet sauce towards the end of cooking makes for a delectable crust which pairs very nice with mashed potatoes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Easy Meal, meatloaf, Venison

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Additional Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 8 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 287kcal

Author Joyce Webster

Ingredients

• 2 pound ground venison
• 2 whole egg
• 1/4 onions, finely chopped
• 5 -10 saltine crackers
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 Tbsp Woscestshire Sauce
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp Nature's Seasonings

For the Sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup for sauce
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar for sauce

Instructions

• Mix the first nine ingredients in a bowl and place in a baking dish.

  Place in a casserole dish and bake at 350º for about 30 minutes, then remove from oven.
• In a small bowl, combine ketchup and brown sugar for the sauce. 

  Glaze over the meatloaf and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes more, until glaze has set.
• Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. 

Notes