# So what's on your meatloaf? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615 "2010-07-14T01:03:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/1 "2010-07-14T01:03:08Z")
No third option. There will never be a third option. Mom used the red stuff when I was a kid, but I’m a brown gravy man now. It just makes sense–you’re having potatoes with brown gravy anyway, so throw some of that goodness on the meatloaf. No need to mix up the red bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/2 "2010-07-14T01:07:43Z")
I like brown gravy better than the red stuff, but mine has BBQ sauce on it. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/3 "2010-07-14T01:09:55Z")
Did someone say…Meatloaf? _…Opportunity blessed my soul…I really dig that rock and roll…_ Sorry. That just slipped out. _…it’s cold and lonely in the deep dark night, but i can see Paradise by the dashboard light…_ Damn. Happened again. What was the question? Oh yeah…gravy. Meh. Whatever you got is fine. If I’m hungry enough to eat meatloaf, I ain’t gonna bitch about the gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/4 "2010-07-14T01:12:39Z")
Salt and pepper on the meatloaf, on the mashed potatoes, and on the vegetable. (Butter added to the vegetable if it’s corn.) ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/5 "2010-07-14T01:15:03Z")
I don’t make any sort of sauce when I make meatloaf. My mom usually didn’t either, but when she did, it was brown gravy. I have eaten meatloaf witht he red goopy stuff baked on top, and I didn’t like it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/6 "2010-07-14T01:24:23Z")
It’s a scientific fact that meatloaf is supposed to have ketchup on it. Why? Because that’s the way my mom made it. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/7 "2010-07-14T01:26:46Z")
You make an indentation along the top length of the loaf before baking and you put your red sauce/ketchup in this indentation so it gets baked in. Bake and slice. And after the meatloaf is sliced you provide brown gravy to put on top of the sliced meatloaf and the mashed potatos that go with. So I had no option to vote for. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/8 "2010-07-14T01:28:14Z")
Well, bacon, of course. Slap a couple strips right on top- when it’s done, the meatloaf is done. Mmmm, bacon. If there is some national tragedy where bacon is not available, then I’ll take red sauce, grudgingly. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/9 "2010-07-14T01:30:39Z")
Ketchup on the top, spread out and baked in. That is necessary. If there’s gravy to go with the mashed potatoes, it can slide over the meatloaf slice, too, if it likes. That is nice. ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Hazel\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Ms.Hazel\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Hazel_Ice)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/10 "2010-07-14T01:37:35Z")
Ketchup, if you must, but I’m partial to Trader Joe’s BBQ sauce. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/11 "2010-07-14T01:39:25Z")
layer of catsup with strips of bacon on top of that. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/12 "2010-07-14T01:47:54Z")
Hot meatloaf=brown gravy. Cold meatloaf=spicy mustard of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/13 "2010-07-14T02:12:49Z")
I voted for brown gravy. But if you serve me meat loaf with ketchup or BBQ sauce, I’d eat it happily. It’s meat loaf. It’s tasty. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/14 "2010-07-14T02:23:16Z")
ketchup based sauce, flavored with horseradish, brushed on for the lat 10 minutes or so. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/15 "2010-07-14T02:56:55Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever had meatloaf. No…wait, is meatloaf basically just a hunk of hamburger meat all cooked together? I think I have eaten it once. With ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/16 "2010-07-14T02:59:15Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever had meatloaf. > > No…wait, is meatloaf basically just a hunk of hamburger meat all cooked together? I think I have eaten it once. With ketchup. I . . . don’t even know where to start. I’m’a gonna pretend this post doesn’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/17 "2010-07-14T03:20:38Z")
Don’t let your meat loaf. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/18 "2010-07-14T03:24:50Z")
Moving to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/19 "2010-07-14T03:25:52Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > I . . . don’t even know where to start. I’m’a gonna pretend this post doesn’t exist. 😉 Fine, be that way. Anyway, I googled it. It was what I was thinking of. So yes, I have had meatloaf with ketchup. I remember thinking it was weird. Like…hamburger, but without all of the other parts to the burger. Why would anyone do that anyway, when you can take the same meat and have an actual burger? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615/20 "2010-07-14T03:27:59Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever had meatloaf. > > No…wait, is meatloaf basically just a hunk of hamburger meat all cooked together? I think I have eaten it once. With ketchup. No. Meatloaf is hamburger mixed with other stuff to make the meat go further. Usually crackers or bread crumbs in my part of the world, with various spices and options. If we had a Dopefest at **Rand** ’s house and he served it, I suspect it would be excellent, since he appears to be a meatloaf fan and would know how to do it right. If we went out and ordered it at somewhere like Picadilly Cafeteria, or even Cracker Barrel, it would likely be edible. If we went to somewhere like a hospital cafeteria…well…I would not be ordering meatloaf. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-on-your-meatloaf/546615.md?page=2)