Back in the 90's my husband and I used to enjoy travelling to the States on daytrips to go shopping. We enjoyed going down there to buy groceries as they were a lot cheaper than they were at home. With five growing children, every penny mattered.
We would always treat ourselves to a nice dinner at one of the local diner's while we were there. It was always a real treat. Diner food is always the best. Simple food but done really well. At least that was always my experience. Mom and Pop kind of food.
With varied menus and daily specials, usually handwritten on blackboards or paper place mats, placed strategically around the room for perfect viewing. You could always tell a good diner because it would be full and very busy. Another good sign was a line of transport trucks in the parking lot. Truck Drivers always know the best places to eat.
Another thing we enjoyed about then was that they were usually not overly expensive places to eat. The food was not really fancy, but it was always really good. It has been many years now since I have been to eat in a diner.
Meatloaf has always been a big diner specialty. Hearty, delicious and filling. This meatloaf recipe I am sharing with you today Is all that and more. I have been making it this way for years. I can't remember where I got the original recipe from, but it is very like the meatloaf you would be served in a diner style of restaurant. (I suspect I adapted it from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook but can't be sure.)
Meals like this are very homey and comforting as well as being delicious. They used to be considered thrifty, but with today's economy and the price of beef that is not true any longer, although, to be sure, ground beef IS a more economical way to enjoy beef!
This is a small batch recipe making a small (8 by 4-inch) loaf, which is ideal for two people. It cuts into four thick slices. You can enjoy it on the day and then enjoy a delicious Meatloaf Sandwich the day after!
- 1 cup (60g) of freshly made breadcrumbs
- 1 small onion, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 1 pounds extra lean ground beef (I use ground steak)
- 2 TBS hot pickled pepper strips (optional)
- 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- 3/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup (80ml whole milk
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup (65g) of tomato ketchup
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 TBS liquid from the hot peppers jar
- Place the onion, pickled peppers, egg, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard powder, salt, pepper and milk into a blender. Blitz until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a large shallow roasting tin. Line a small loaf tin with plastic cling film.
- Place the meat, breadcrumbs and cheese into a large bowl. Mix lightly together.
- Pour the mixture from the blender over top. Mix this into the meat and breadcrumbs lightly with your hands, until well combined.
- Pack lightly into the lined loaf tin, smoothing over the top.
- Tip the meat mixture out of the tin and into the middle of the roasting tin, removing the loaf tin and discarding plastic cling film.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients until well mixed. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and brush this mixture overall.
- Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting into slices to serve.
- Use the right cut of meat. I like to use ground steak or ground sirloin. The leaner your meat mixture the less shrinkage you will get. Nobody enjoys a really greasy meatloaf.
- Milk, onion and breadcrumbs help to give your loaf substance, and to keep it moist. Not only do the onions bring flavor, but the addition of milk and breadcrumbs allows for a much better texture, helping to stabilize the meat mixture as well as distributing the moisture evenly amongst the meat.
- Salt and pepper is important but other flavors also add to the enjoyment of this old familiar dish. Mustard, ketchup, hot peppers, Worcestershire sauce and cheese all add flavor.
- Use a light touch when mixing your meatloaf together. Too much mixing and compacting will give your loaf a mushy, pasty texture and can also toughen it.
- A glaze, whilst not necessary, always gives a nice look and finish to the loaf. Nobody will be reaching for the ketchup bottle if you do this right.
- Let the meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. This allows for any juices to be reabsorbed into the loaf.
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Diner Style Meatloaf
Baked in a free form style, this lovely meatloaf has a wonderful crust and flavor. If I am feeling particularly indulgent, I will lay strips of steaky bacon across the top, which is very nice, but it's delicious without it as well.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (60g) of freshly made breadcrumbs
- 1 small onion, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 1 pounds extra lean ground beef (I use ground steak)
- 2 TBS hot pickled pepper strips (optional)
- 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- 3/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup (80ml whole milk
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup (65g) of tomato ketchup
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 TBS liquid from the hot peppers jar
Instructions
- Place the onion, pickled peppers, egg, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard powder, salt, pepper and milk into a blender. Blitz until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready a large shallow roasting tin. Line a small loaf tin with plastic cling film.
- Place the meat, breadcrumbs and cheese into a large bowl. Mix lightly together.
- Pour the mixture from the blender over top. Mix this into the meat and breadcrumbs lightly with your hands, until well combined.
- Pack lightly into the lined loaf tin, smoothing over the top.
- Tip the meat mixture into the middle of the roasting tin, removing the loaf tin and discarding plastic cling film.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients until well mixed. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and brush this mixture overall.
- Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting into slices to serve.
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
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.jpg "Meals of the Week, July 6th - 12h, 2025")
SUNDAY, July 6th - Cindy's Birthday
Sunday was my sister's birthday and so my father took us all out to fish and chips. We just went to a local spot, Angies. My family loves Fish and Chips. Usually when we go out for a meal that is what we will choose. It's always been the same. What can I say?? My sister went out again on Wednesday and has fish and chips again. We are all alike! It runs in our blood.
In its place I am sharing my recipe for Beer Battered Fish. This is lovely. The batter is nice and light. It is deep fried which I know is not to everyone's taste, but it is really delicious. Crisp batter, well flavored, tender and perfectly cooked fish.
MONDAY, July 7th - Lunch out with my friend Jacquie
My friend Jacquie called me on Monday morning and asked me to go out to lunch with her. This is not something I do very often, and I did not want to say no as she has asked me so many times and I have usually not been able to say yes. We went to the same place as I had gone Sunday night and so this time I thought I would shake things up an order something different. I ordered a Club Sandwich. In its place I am sharing my recipe for a Turkey Club Platter.
It really good. a lovely, toasted club sandwich with sliced turkey, ham, cheese, bacon and tomato, with a side of coleslaw and chips. Hearty, filling and delicious!
I did enjoy my lunch out with Jacquie and have vowed to do it more often.
.jpg "Chopped Green Salad")
TUESDAY, July 8th - Grilled Chicken and a Chopped Green Salad
After all of the indulgences so far this week I decided to play it safe on Tuesday and had some grilled chicken and a chopped green salad. This is one of my favorite salads. It has plenty of crisp lettuce, sliced cucumbers, sliced olives, green onions, chives, celery and peas. It also boasts a lovely Lemon and Herb Vinaigrette dressing. I love this salad.
The grilled chicken was Marinated Mediterranean Chicken. I cook it on my little Cuisinart Griddler machine. This chicken always turns out tender and juicy. I often cook it for company.
WEDNESDAY, July 9th - Dinner with my son's family
My son and his family arrived for summer Camp. They go to an Ashram camp which is not too far from where I live. It did not start until Thursday so they spent the day with me on Wednesday. It was such a fun day. I played games with my grandsons and got to visit with my son and daughter-in-law. Just wonderful.
For supper I served Chicken Pot Pie, which I made from the extra chicken I cooked on Tuesday. We had chips and salad with it. One of my grandsons had a hotdog instead. For dessert we had ice cream.
The best part was sharing it all with family!
THURSDAY, July 10th - Reuben Fold-Overs
I had a really busy day cleaning up from the visit and so I just made something simple for my supper on Thursday. Reuben Fold-Overs. This is a quick and simple sandwich bake. Flat breads folder over you favorite Reuben sandwich fillings. Smoked meat, cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island Dressing. Tucked ino a folden flat bread which is brushed with butter and then baked until everything is heated through and golden. So delicious.
I enjoyed this sandwich with a few cheeky potato chips. I was beat and did not have a lot of energy. I think I am getting old, lol.
FRIDAY, July 11th - Bread and Cheese Omelet
I just had a simple supper on Friday. I was out shopping with my sister all afternoon and pretty beat by the time I got home, but I was also starving. You cannot beat a tasty omelet for a quick and easy supper. I had just picked up some farm fresh eggs from the egg place on the mountain as well.
This Bread and Cheese Omelet is one of my favorites. You cube some bread and get it all toasty and golden brown, make your omelet and then stuff it with a good cheddar, some chopped spring onions and the toasted bread cubes. No need for toast. A salad on the side would go very nicely.
.jpg "Chicken Biryani")
SATURDAY, July 12th - Lunch out with my son
My son wanted to take me out to lunch on Saturday to make up for Mother's Day and my upcoming Birthday. Who was I to refuse! We went to the new Indian place in Kingston called ChrisMaria. I love the food there.
My son doesn't know a lot about Indian Food. We had Butter Chicken and Chicken Biryani and some samosas. Chicken Biryani is a lovely chicken dish with tender pieces of chicken in a lovely rich with some raisins, flaked almonds (or cashews), spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, onions, bay leaf, etc. Its delicious. I have linked to my recipe for it.
Of course the best part of this meal was sharing it with my son. Love him so much.
And there you have it! My meals of the week for the past seven days. Not conventional I know as I did eat out three times, which is most unusual! I hope you will be inspired to want to cook at least a few of the things I have shared!
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
I always like to have a cake in the house at the weekend. This is a tradition of my own making that goes back a very long way to when I was bringing up my own family.
During the week I would often bake them cookies. I liked to have fresh baked cookies waiting for them when they got home from school and would often include them in their packed lunches. Yes, I WAS a baking mom.
I had the luxury of being a stay-at-home mom, and being able to bake special treats for my children was one of my love languages. My own mother had worked so it we didn't really get home baked treats, with the exception of the holidays.
I was determined that my own children would have everything made from scratch. On weekdays, cookies and at the weekends, always a delicious cake, slice/bar, or sometimes a pie.
Old habits die hard.
- 1 1/3 cups (150g) self-rising flour (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups (100g) shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar (in the U.K. use castor)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) sifted icing sugar
- 1/3 cup (70g) butter, at room temperature
- 2 to 3 TBS of fresh lemon juice
- finely grated lemon zest to decorate
This recipe employs the one bowl method, in that everything for the cake batter is mixed together in a single bowl, or in this case a large saucepan.
FOR THE CAKE:
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch square baking tin and line with baking parchment.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan and leave to cool to room temperature.
- Whisk in the milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Combine well.
- Whisk in the self-raising flour and the coconut, again combining well.
- Scrape with a spatula into the prepared pan and smooth over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. The top will spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter, icing sugar together with just enough lemon juice to give you a thick spreadable frosting. Swirl this on top of the cake and dust with the lemon zest.
- Leave to set before cutting into slices to serve.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
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Coconut Lemon Slice
A moist and delicious coconut cake topped with a lush lemon buttercream frosting. Fabulous as a treat served with a hot cuppa, or as a dessert served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sherbet. A one bowl make and bake.
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (150g) self-rising flour (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups (100g) shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar (in the U.K. use castor)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) sifted icing sugar
- 1/3 cup (70g) butter, at room temperature
- 2 to 3 TBS of fresh lemon juice
- finely grated lemon zest to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter an 8-inch square baking tin and line with baking parchment.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan and leave to cool to room temperature.
- Whisk in the milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Combine well.
- Whisk in the self-raising flour and the coconut, again combining well.
- Scrape with a spatula into the prepared pan and smooth over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. The top will spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter, icing sugar together with just enough lemon juice to give you a thick spreadable frosting. Swirl this on top of the cake and dust with the lemon zest.
- Leave to set before cutting into slices to serve.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
You can very easily make your own self-rising flour. For every cup of flour needed, whisk together 1 cup (125g) of flour with 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt. I usually do this about 4 cups at a time and store in the cupboard to use as needed.
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
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