When New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie visited the White House this week, President Trump insisted he have the meatloaf for lunch, allegedly describing it as "fabulous."
So what's so great, exactly, about a comfort food that's not much more than a brick of ground beef?
As it turns out, meat loaf was known to be a favorite food of a number of presidents, Richard Nixon included, and the recipe from the Nixon White House is online in the National Archives. (It's not clear if the Trump White House makes it the same way; press officials there were not immediately available to comment.)
The recipe, as recorded in the files of Gwendolyn King, an aide to First Lady Pat Nixon:
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 3 tbsp bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp whipping cream
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 2 tsp salt
- ¾ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp seasoning salt
Mix all ingredients well with meat; form loaf. Place loaf in pan, cover top with additional tomato sauce (spread very thin over loaf). Bake for 50 minutes. Set oven at 375 degrees and turn down to 350 degrees after 30 minutes. Serves six.
