The ballot box was stuffed and so were the voters.
Competition was steamy at the Mighty Meatloaf Madness contest to determine who was the hottest chef in Mukilteo.
The public was invited to try the five meatloaf recipes served at the free tasting event hosted by Harbour Pointe Retirement &Assisted Living Community.
Contenders were Mukilteo’s fire department, police department, YMCA, library and the retirement community.
Spatula in hand, each chef served his or her own savory sampling and virtuous words.
“The secret ingredient is love,” said Mukilteo Police Chief Rex Caldwell. “There’s no pepper spray in it.”
His wife made it. “She wanted it cooked right, so she cooked it,” he said. “It’s simple. Like me.”
YMCA program director Kate Rossart got all gooey about her baked wonder.
“The glaze is the secret,” she said. “The cheese in there keeps it moist. The recipe was passed down from my grandma. I’m the third generation to make it.”
Firefighter-paramedic Tyler Trowbridge served up a meatloaf frosted with ketchup.
“It’s pretty basic. Italian sausage and ground beef, some spices like Italian seasoning and garlic powder,” Trowbridge said.
“It’s a firehouse recipe. Something we slap together at the firehouse. Once in a while I bring it out and make it for the guys.”
Ah, meatloaf. It’s the ultimate comfort food. Warm, juicy and affordable.
During the Great Depression, it was a way to live large by using cheap meat and mixing it with cereals and leftovers.
It goes well with mashed potatoes and peas, which Harbour Pointe provided along with beverages and dessert.
The event drew about 100 tasters that included residents, visitors and free lunch seekers.
Voting was on the honor system, by write-in ballot.
“I voted for two,” confessed a woman who wouldn’t give her name.
“I voted for the Y and the police department. They were all really good. I wanted to vote for all of them. The police department is like how my sister makes her meatloaf.”
Jutta Capell, visiting from Seattle, voted for Harbour Pointe.
“It was nice and moist,” Capell said. “It was hard to make a choice which one was the best.”
The police chief came clean. “I voted for mine,” Caldwell said.
The winner … the YMCA.
The fire department nabbed second place. Harbour Pointe took third.
Honorary mentions went to the library and police department.
“Our goal was actually to beat the police,” Trowbridge said.
Caldwell wasn’t sure how he was going to break the news to his wife.
“It’s fun for the residents,” said Harbour Pointe spokeswoman Judith Strand.
The center does it every spring.
Last year it was chili. Next year: chicken wings.
Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.
Mukilteo YMCA’s glazed meatloaf
2 eggs beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed saltines
1 cup of finely shredded carrots
½ cup of finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon of pepper
2 pounds lean ground beef
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cheese, saltines, carrots, onion, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into a loaf.
Place in a greased 13-by-9-inch dish. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
For glaze, in a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, ketchup and mustard to a boil. Reduce heat: simmer, uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon over meat loaf and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and the thermometer reads 160 degrees. Drain, let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
Mukilteo Library’s cheese stuffed Italian meatloaf
1 egg
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup of your favorite red pasta sauce, homemade or in the jar
1 cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¾ pound lean ground beef
½ pound hot Italian sausage
1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese, in about ¼ inch pieces
Additional pasta sauce for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together the egg, breadcrumbs (I whir herbed dry stuffing mix in my food processor to make these), garlic and 1/2 cup pasta sauce until well-mixed.
Add remaining ingredients (except the garnish), and mix together well.
Put into a large loaf pan, top/garnish with additional pasta sauce and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
Serve with rice, spaghetti or scalloped potatoes.
Police Chief’s Wife’s meatloaf
3 pounds ground beef
16 ounce can tomato sauce
6 ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup prepared mustard
2 eggs
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
½ cup brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix it all together thoroughly and place in a 13-by-9-inch baking pan (glass is best). Shape to size desired, generally a couple inches from the edge of the pan. Put enough water to cover bottom of pan 1 inch deep around the meat mixture. This helps with moisture in the oven and draws fat off for easy disposal.
Bake at 350 degrees in center of oven for 1 to 1½ hours or until internal temp is 170 degrees or higher. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Alternately, you can add ½ cup of tomato sauce, BBQ or like product poured across top. Remove meatloaf from pan, discarding water and residual liquid, then serve.
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