Comfort Food Classic

Hearty Southern meatloaf and redskin smashed potatoes serve up nostalgia, affordability and the kind of flavor only a family recipe can deliver.

My son came home from school the other day, dropped his backpack by the door and said, “Mom, they served meatloaf for lunch today … and it was actually really good.” I just smiled, because I knew he was in for a real treat.

School cafeteria meatloaf might be fine, but it does not hold a candle to the version my mom made for our family and her mom made for hers — simple, hearty and full of the kind of flavor you only get when a recipe has lived a long life around a family table.

Adding to my meatloaf meal is mashed potatoes — with the skins on. Y’all ever notice how the mashed potatoes hit different when they still have a little texture? Leaving the red potato skins on does not just add flavor, texture and color, but also brings extra fiber, antioxidants and nutrients. It’s one of those little choices that makes the meal feel both indulgent and just a bit more homemade.

Lately, there’s been a real trend of families drifting back toward nostalgia-driven, budget-friendly comfort meals — think meat and potatoes, casseroles and one-pan dinners that would have felt right at home on a table in the 1980s.

With grocery prices and inflation being what they are, dishes like this Southern meatloaf with smashed potatoes check all of these boxes: affordable ingredients, big portions and leftovers that taste just as good the next day. It’s the kind of food that stretches a dollar without feeling like you’re sacrificing anything.

Cooking at home like this also quietly stacks up some real health benefits. You control the salt, the fat and the portion sizes. You can lean into quality ingredients, balance your plate with a side salad or green beans and skip the extra sugar and additives. Plus, there’s something undeniably good for the soul about gathering around your own table, phones pushed aside, sharing a meal you made with your own hands.

By the time I plated dinner — thick slices of meatloaf laid over a generous heap of hot, chunky redskin smashed potatoes, extra sauce drizzled over the top — my son was already hovering nearby, fork in hand. He took one bite, then another and finally looked up at me with wide eyes. “This is way better than the cafeteria meatloaf,” he said, mouth still half full. After a few more bites, he added, “Can we have this again next week?”

That’s the thing about recipes like this — they don’t just feed your family; they keep your stories, memories and traditions alive.

Print Recipe

Southern Meatloaf with Redskin Smashed Potatoes

Hearty Southern meatloaf and redskin smashed potatoes serve up nostalgia, affordability and the kind of flavor only a family recipe can deliver.

Course

Comfort, Southern

Cuisine

American, Comfort, Southern

Keyword

beef, meat, potato

Servings

people

Ingredients

For the meatloaf

• 2 lbs groud beef
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 Vidalia onion finely chopped
• 1 green pepper finely chopped
• 2 eggs beaten
• half a sleeve of Ritz crackers fully crushed
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce

For the smashed potatoes

• 3 lbs red skin potatoes washed and cut in quarters
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 8 garlic cloves
• salt for the boiling water
• salt and pepper

Course Comfort, Southern Cuisine American, Comfort, Southern Keyword beef, meat, potato Servings people Ingredients For the meatloaf 2 lbs groud beef 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 Vidalia onion finely chopped 1 green pepper finely chopped 2 eggs beaten half a sleeve of Ritz crackers fully crushed 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 1/2 cups ketchup 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce For the smashed potatoes 3 lbs red skin potatoes washed and cut in quarters 8 oz cream cheese softened 6 tablespoons butter 8 garlic cloves salt for the boiling water salt and pepper

Instructions

For the meatloaf

1. Over medium heat soften the onion and pepper in a saucepan with the vegetable oil. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a loaf pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to mix the beef, cooled onions and peppers, eggs, Ritz crackers, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
4. Form the meat mixture into a loaf and place into the greased pan.
5. Cover the pan with foil and cook for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes to brown the outside of the meat.
6. Meanwhile, mix the ketchup and BBQ sauce together.
7. Pour the sauce mixture over the meat (reserve some sauce for plating) and cook for another 20 minutes.

For the smashed potatoes

1. Add water and salt to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Add the garlic cloves, then the potatoes. Boil for 12 to 15 minutes or until fork tender.
2. Dran the water, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese, butter and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Mash to your desired consistency.

Plating

1. Slice the meatloaf thick and serve over a heap of hot smashed potatoes. Add more sauce if you wish.

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