I am a great fan of meatloaf. Over the years, I have eaten my share and have made too many to count. One of my favorite meals as a child was meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, and green peas. Even today, nothing says, “comfort” to me like that meal. But I like to mix things up a bit and instead of the typical meat mixture associated with traditional meatloaf, this one is based on fresh pork sausage.
The best flavor for this loaf comes from using a good quality, butcher or local store-made fresh pork sausage. Here in the Coal Region and in Pa. Dutch country, we have many meat markets, small supermarkets, butchers, and farmers’ markets where high quality, freshly butchered meat and shop-made sausages are readily available.
If you can, buy the sausage “in bulk”. as opposed to in casings which you would need to split with a sharp knife and peel off of the stuffing inside. This mixes up similar to any other meatloaf, but the flavor rises above the typical beef/pork one thanks to the added ingredients in good fresh sausage and some prepared horseradish for a little kick.
This loaf is great eaten warm, but just as good cold, served between two slices of bread as a lunchtime treat.
Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds pork sausage
1-1/2 cups bread or cracker crumbs
2 Tablespoons ketchup
2 Tablespoons grated onion
2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste if desired
Directions
- In a bowl, mix the sausage (remove from casings if using links) and the cracker crumbs, onion, ketchup, horseradish, mustard and egg.
- Moisten with the milk.
- Add salt and pepper if desired.
- Shape into a free form loaf in a shallow baking pan and bake at 350F for 1 hour.
- Slice and serve warm or cold.
Notes
- This recipe is from “The Amish Way Cookbook”