Not as good as my mom's meat loaf --Mom’s Meat Loaf

Mom’s Meat Loaf
175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics Copyright 2006

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 can (10 oz) condensed tomato soup I used reduced-sodium
2 onions, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cracked black peppercorns
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups fine dry bread crumbs

1. Fold a 2-foot piece of foil in half lengthwise. Place on bottom and up sides of slow cooker stoneware overlapping at the top.
2. In a large bowl, combine beef, tomato soup, onions, celery, garlic, parsley, salt, peppercorns, eggs, and bread crumbs and mix well. Shape into a loaf and place in the middle of the foil strip on bottom of slow cooker stoneware. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, until juices run clear when meatloaf is pierced with a fork or a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Lift out loaf using foil strip and transfer to a warm platter. Pour juices into a sauceboat and serve alongside sliced loaf.
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This was okay. It was satisfying enough but it left sort of an aftertaste from the soup which reminded me of something but I can't quite place it. I won't be making this again but it doesn't fall into the failure category either. The leftovers will make a nice sandwich.

I made it the night before, sliced it and reheated it in the oven. I think it would have been difficult to slice it neatly if I had served it right after cooking it. It was in quite a delicate state at that point. And very strangely, even though the recipe calls for serving the juice along with this, there was no juice! None. Nada. I mean, just about anything I've cooked in the crockpot has given off juice but there was no liquid at all in the crockpot with this when it was finished cooking. I'm not sure if there was anything gained by cooking this in the crockpot. It worked but I think I prefer a baked meat loaf.

I'm struggling this week. It's just one of those weeks.

Blast From The Past: Brown Sugar Meat Loaf from October 2005. That's a better meat loaf. I prefer a meat loaf with a topping.

Question of the Day: Do you like cold meat loaf sandwiches?