Review of a locally famous take-home meatloaf.
Earlier I reviewed the family owned Hen House Supermarkets located in the Kansas City area. They are part of the Balls Food Stores begun one hundred years ago (1923) by Sidney & Mollie Ball. These markets have been family owned all this time, first by Sidney & Mollie, then by their son, and now by their grandson.
Reading the story of Mollie Ball, I discovered that she was no doubt a pioneer in the field of take-home “Grab n' Go” meals.
When World War II began, many mothers and wives began working in defense plants and found it difficult to find time to make dinner for their families. Mollie said “no problem, we'll make take-home dinners for you.” Her take-home meatloaf, in particular, became famous throughout the neighborhood.
Today it is easy to find 'ready-made' or frozen meals at the supermarkets, ready to cook for a quick dinner. Not so in the 1940s, but Mollie made it happen. She was a true pioneer when it came to 'take-home' meals. Mollie Ball was known for her generosity and for caring about the larger community.
Her original recipe for Mollie's Meat Loaf is shared below with permission from the Ball Food Stores.
Mollie's Meat Loaf
Ingredients:
2 cups bread crumbs
2 tbsp. Flour
1 ½ tsp. Salt
4 tbsp. onion, chopped fine
¼ tsp. Paprika
¼ tsp. Mustard
1/8 tsp. Sage
½ lb ground beef
½ lb ground veal
½ lb ground pork
1 egg
1 ½ cups milk
Instructions:
- Mix together the bread crumbs, flour, salt, pepper, onion, paprika, mustard and sage. Work this into the meat.
- Add beaten egg to the milk and knead into the meat mixture gradually.
- Mold into a loaf and place strips of bacon over top.
Cook at 375 degrees F for 2 hours
Makes 8 servings.
Summary
The Hen House and other Balls Food Stores in Kansas City are well-known for their locally-sourced fruits, vegetables, bakery items and meats. Their website also has a selection of recipes for your cooking and eating pleasure.
- Check out the dozens of wonderful recipes at the Hen House Recipes page.
- For more Recipe Reviews here on ReviewThisReviews, click on ReviewThisRecipes.com
Happy Eating!
