Ozzie and Harriet

This is what John and I always think of as an Ozzie and Harriet sort of meal--all-American, no frills. Meatloaf, corn on the cob, green beans--and salad, though I doubt O and H would have had spinach, mango, blue cheese, and vinaigrette salad. Back in the Fifties, salad was more likely to be Jello.

And, of course, the corn back then would have been starchy and boiled--unlike today's sweet varieties that just need a little time on the grill. The green beans would have been boiled a long time, probably with a bit of fatback (I'm speaking from my own experience of the Fifties.)

And the meatloaf--which gets such a bad rap these days. My mother's meatloaf was composed of ground beef, cracker crumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and milk. She might have grated a tiny bit of onion into the mixture. Ketchup was spread on top partway through the baking. It was good and firm and made fine sandwiches the next day. And, of course, it was economical.

These days, with beef priced so high, meatloaf is still a go-to for me. But I've jazzed up my mother's version considerably.

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. hot pork sausage (bulk, not links)

4 slices bread, torn up and softened in about 1/2 c. milk

2 eggs

1 TB.Worcestershire sauce

1 TB. Gochujang sauce

2 medium onions, chopped

Using your hands, blend all these ingredients together. Put in a pan coated with oil, form into a loaf, and bake at 350 for an hour. Halfway through the baking time, coat the top with chili sauce (or ketchup) and another tablespoon of Gochujang, if you like it a little spicy.

I wonder what Ozzie would say?