Sunday Supper: Mmm Meat Loaf

Meat loaf, corn, potatoes and (sometimes) salad: this is the Sunday supper of my childhood. It comforts, calms and collects all of my favorite people around one table for more than just a meal. Raise your hand if your family took turns sharing the highs and lows of the day or if you ever had to take a practice spelling test during dinner!

Humble as this Savory Meat Loaf may appear, it’s packed with flavor—especially if you go the 80/20 route with your ground beef like my mom did. And feel free to get fancy with the ketchup design on the top. My family used it as a canvas to spell out messages (Happy Birthday!) and before one magical vacation, to draw out the shape of a famous mouse.

A can of corn—always Green Giant Extra Sweet Niblets—and homemade mashed potatoes rounded out our Knudson family meal. But now that I’m an adult and can handle it when my food touches, I’m keen on this Crunchy Onion Potato Bake. Also filed under Things I Eat as an Adult that I Didn’t as a Kid is this Mixed Green Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette, which is a real shame since my parents grew their own vegetables in the prairies of North Dakota.

Looking at this feast before me now, I can’t help but wonder in what grade it was that I learned how to spell nostalgia.