Good and bad things have been said about meat loaf. Without question, it is considered as one of most talked about comfort foods. There are as many recipes for meat loaf as there are people who have opinions (good or bad) about this dish. Some think of meat loaf as a catch-all leftover dish, combining whatever that had not been consumed the dinner before. There are several interesting recipes when it comes to the filler.

Sometimes the filler for a meat loaf recipe is regional and even cultural. Bread crumbs can be of any origin, including sour dough, whole wheat, rye, and panko (Japanese light breading for tempura batter). More exotic fillers include bulgar wheat, couscous, millet, brown rice, barley, potatoes, and oat meal. No matter what the filler might be, a recipe for meat loaf offers signature for a comfort food.

Oat meal by itself is sometimes thought of as a comfort food. When it is an ingredient for meat loaf, it makes the recipe even more special for some people. As is the case with many grains, oat meal is cooked without any seasonings (although this could be done) first, before being added to the meat loaf mixture. Most recipes call for a thorough mixing of the filler with the ground meat prior to cooking. For pockets of texture and character to the meat loaf, grains should be mixed into the meat by hand.

Yahoo! News Search Results for comfort foods
Yahoo! News Search Results for comfort foods

Cheer up wisely: Comfort foods can be made healthier (Asheville Citizen-Times)
By definition, comfort foods are generally not the healthiest.
Remaking comfort foods: Cheddar and beer soup (South Bend Tribune)
Healthful eating and comfort food don't have to go together like spinach and brownies.
Back to basics: Experts predict food in 2009 will be comfort driven with more...
ANDREW SULLIVAN/STAMFORD ADVOCATEFrugal fare such as bean soup can be a reliable comfort when money's tight in uncertain times. Food trends are fickle. They ebb and flow with economic times and over the past few years they've run the gamut...
The Recipe for Cool Weather Comfort Foods (Today's News-Herald)
(ARA) - As the weather gets brisk and the sun sets earlier, we find ourselves yearning for food and beverages that are simple, familiar and home-made. Comfort food is as soothing as a warm sweater, but it doesn't have to be boring if you add a little creativity.
Recipe Makeover: chicken-fried steak and gravy (San Jose Mercury News)
In making over chicken-fried steak, "we skip the deep frying, but with rich country gravy as consolation, you won't miss it," writes Jessie Price in "Comfort Foods Made Healthy.
Coffee and Chocolate Holding Up in Down Economy (AG Weekly)
In the United States, the true comfort foods are chocolate and coffee -which may provide relief for investors battered by plummeting prices for oil, gold, wheat and other products.
Comfort foods can be healthy too (The Charlotte Observer)
(By Heather Lalley, Chicago Tribune) Healthful eating and comfort food don't have to go together like spinach and brownies. It's just that we've become so accustomed to thinking good-for-you dishes can't be warm, gooey and soul-satisfying. But Jessie Price and her fellow editors at Vermont-based EatingWell magazine want to prove that conventional wisdom wrong. They've compiled nearly 200 ...
Feel-good Foods to Battle the Winter Blues (Lexington Clipper-Herald)
(ARA) - It's that time of year again when temperatures hit single digits, clothing gets heavier and it can be difficult to resist the urge to curl up all day under a warm and comfy blanket with an engaging book.
Cold comfort (The Age)
Justine Costigan savours a range of flavours that take some licking.
Kettle adds sweet onion chip (The Portland Business Journal)
Kettle Foods added a new flavor to its line of ?Big Game? chips.