Loaf-A-Palooza

There is a man in my husband's office that we wanted to have over for dinner.  He is a single man with a great heart and a hearty appetite for meatloaf, so we occasionally have him over.  Meatloaf is not usually a meal I think about when it's 107 degrees outside, but this wasn't about me.  Actually, the only thing I think of when I think of meatloaf is how when we were kids, we would also want the end pieces that were the most burned because they had the least offensive taste when smothered in Ketchup.  The last time my mother made it, she promised she would never fix it again.  We were happy. 

Long story short, it ends up that we are going to have 12 people for meatloaf dinner (still 107 outside) on Sunday.  So, after hosting Legally Blonde: The Party, I re-clean the house and start on what I think will be acceptable accompaniments to the dinner: mashed potatoes, green beans, asparagus, and peach cobbler.  I have everything made and ready to go on Saturday night to either warm up or bake the next day.  I'm looking at a relaxing Sunday hanging out with the kids. My husband was going to be in charge of the meatloaf, so I figure my part is done.  So, I get up for my bike ride on Sunday morning and when I get back, there are about 10 meatloaf recipes on the island to review.  He wants me to pick the best three.  Yes, you heard me.  He's making three meatloafs.  Loaf-A-Palooza.  So we landed on these three all from the Food Network.

1. Good Eats Meat Loaf (Alton Brown)
2. Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze (Bobby Flay)
3. Spicy Meatloaf with Chipotle Sauce

Do you have any idea how much meat went into these things?  Eeewwww.  We are talking about almost 7 pounds of meat.  That is the size of a baby.  Eeewwww.  He goes to the store and three hours later, returns with enough groceries to feed a small, developing country.  We are now four hours away from guests arriving, and those of you who know meatloaf, know that it takes 1 to 1/2 hours to cook each one.  Oh, and we've added a few more items to the menu such as Artichoke Heart and Spinach Gratin, two kinds of homemade ice cream, and a starter of Linguini with Clam Sauce.  Four hours away from guests.  Oh, and there are no shortcuts because the discernable palates could tell that we bought the breadcrumbs and that WOULD JUST NOT DO.   These same discernable palates that left wine in their glass that hailed from a 2000 Silver Oak Cabernet.  Is it wrong to admit that I almost drank it after everyone left?  I didn't, but come on people. 

For the next four hours, we slice, dice, chop, stir, whip, pulse, puree, strain, mold, brush and bake.  I'm exhausted again just telling the story.  So, we have a taste off and the winner is the Bobby Flay recipe by a country mile.  My husband hates Bobby Flay because he licks his fingers and then continues cooking and touching the food again. He may have redeemed himself with his loaf recipe.

That night, we deemed our first (and hopefully only) Loaf-A-Palooza a success.  I wish I had taken photos.  Today, we hear that our guest of honor has been ill.  God speed, Bob.  Hope it wasn't the meatloaf.