This is one of the few dinners we have that even the picky eaters like! It looks complicated but it really isn't. The measurements are approximate, I always measure by eye for this recipe.
2 lbs of ground chuck
1/2 cup of regular oatmeal (you can use bread crumbs if you like those better)
3 medium sized tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 or 2 eggs (depending on size)
2 or 3 tablespoons of Pace Picante sauce
1 or 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
any other seasoning that floats your boat!!
3 packets of instant gravy
9x13 covered cake pan
Mix the eggs, picante sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper together along with the oatmeal. Add the ground chuck and mix real good (I use my hands here!). Dump the meat into the cake pan and form into a loaf, leaving about 1/2" clearance from the top so the lid will go on easily. Cut up the onion, sometimes I just slice and separate, other time I cut the onion finer, spread the onions around and on top of the meat. Cut up the tomatoes and spread on and around the meat (I usually use Roma tomatoes, but I blanch and peel the skin off first). Mix up all three gravy packets according to the packet directions, except go a little light on the water. You want the gravy to be real thick. Pour the gravy on top of the meat then spread it around so that the lid will close without getting any gravy on it. The reason for making the gravy thick is as the ground chuck, onions and tomatoes cook, they will be releasing moisture which will thin down the gravy. Cover the pan put in a 350 degree oven for 90 minutes. When done, let the pan sit uncovered on the stove top for 5 or 10 minutes. Serve with mash potatoes and your favorite cooked veggies!
Sometimes I make this up earlier in the day and have the first one home put it in the oven, when I do that I cook it for 2 hours, because it takes longer to get the cold gravy and meat up to cooking temperature.
2 lbs of ground chuck
1/2 cup of regular oatmeal (you can use bread crumbs if you like those better)
3 medium sized tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 or 2 eggs (depending on size)
2 or 3 tablespoons of Pace Picante sauce
1 or 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
any other seasoning that floats your boat!!
3 packets of instant gravy
9x13 covered cake pan
Mix the eggs, picante sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper together along with the oatmeal. Add the ground chuck and mix real good (I use my hands here!). Dump the meat into the cake pan and form into a loaf, leaving about 1/2" clearance from the top so the lid will go on easily. Cut up the onion, sometimes I just slice and separate, other time I cut the onion finer, spread the onions around and on top of the meat. Cut up the tomatoes and spread on and around the meat (I usually use Roma tomatoes, but I blanch and peel the skin off first). Mix up all three gravy packets according to the packet directions, except go a little light on the water. You want the gravy to be real thick. Pour the gravy on top of the meat then spread it around so that the lid will close without getting any gravy on it. The reason for making the gravy thick is as the ground chuck, onions and tomatoes cook, they will be releasing moisture which will thin down the gravy. Cover the pan put in a 350 degree oven for 90 minutes. When done, let the pan sit uncovered on the stove top for 5 or 10 minutes. Serve with mash potatoes and your favorite cooked veggies!
Sometimes I make this up earlier in the day and have the first one home put it in the oven, when I do that I cook it for 2 hours, because it takes longer to get the cold gravy and meat up to cooking temperature.
