Good and bad things have been said about meat loaf. Without question, it is considered as one of most talked about comfort foods. There are as many recipes for meat loaf as there are people who have opinions (good or bad) about this dish. Some think of meat loaf as a catch-all leftover dish, combining whatever that had not been consumed the dinner before. There are several interesting recipes when it comes to the filler.

Sometimes the filler for a meat loaf recipe is regional and even cultural. Bread crumbs can be of any origin, including sour dough, whole wheat, rye, and panko (Japanese light breading for tempura batter). More exotic fillers include bulgar wheat, couscous, millet, brown rice, barley, potatoes, and oat meal. No matter what the filler might be, a recipe for meat loaf offers signature for a comfort food.

Oat meal by itself is sometimes thought of as a comfort food. When it is an ingredient for meat loaf, it makes the recipe even more special for some people. As is the case with many grains, oat meal is cooked without any seasonings (although this could be done) first, before being added to the meat loaf mixture. Most recipes call for a thorough mixing of the filler with the ground meat prior to cooking. For pockets of texture and character to the meat loaf, grains should be mixed into the meat by hand.

Yahoo! News Search Results for comfort foods
Yahoo! News Search Results for comfort foods

Taste: Mac ?n? cheese
With fall peeking its cool head around the corner, the season for comfort foods is fast approaching. Forget mashed potatoes and fried chicken -- here it?s all about the quintessential macaroni and cheese.
10 decadent foods with half the guilt
(Photo: Getty Images) It's hardly a secret that cooking fresh foods at home is better for your health, waistline, pocket book, and the planet than choosing packaged foods or eating take-out. Does that mean you can eat anything you want as long as you prepare it yourself? Unfortunately, most of us need to steer clear of high-calorie foods that contain too much fat and salt. But this doesn't mean ...
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Program focuses on healthy cooking for elders
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This week's Local Flavor takes us to a neighborhood eatery in Berks County.
Orphanage Donation
Tim Rose, Tyson Foods, presents a check to W.A. Dillard, trustee for the Texarkana Baptist Orphanage for $4,585. The money was raised from the fifth annual Tyson Golf tournament to benefit the orphanage. The orphanage will use the money for their educational programs.
USO still sparkles in modern day
When the USO is mentioned, it conjures up visions of World War II canteen dances or overseas tours by Bob Hope. People in Shelby County who aren?t directly involved in the military might not realize that lively USO facilities still exist at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh and at the Indianapolis International Airport.
Bring home the bakery
The West Bend 41300 Hi Rise Bread Maker features programmable options allowing for anyone to enjoy the scent of freshly baked bread in their own kitchen. Complete with a bake delay option, the bread maker is capable of greeting users returning home from work with a loaf of freshly baked bread.
Cashing in on comfort
By EMILY BRYSON YORK CHICAGO TRIBUNE Tough times call for some serious comfort food, and macaroni and cheese is a staple of that category. That's added up to a nice payday for manufacturers. As a whole, macaroni and cheese sales are up 25 percent over the last four years, to $802 million. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner accounts for the vast majority of category growth, which likely means more ...
Answer Man: Papaya, pineapple and pregnancy
Should pregnant women avoid eating papaya or pineapple? The Answer Man dispenses some medical advice, to wit: Talk to a doctor, not me.