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Potato Meat Loaf

A baked loaf of sliced potatoes, onion, ground beef, sausage, egg, crackers, and chili powder, topped with cheddar cheese soup.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 10 ingredients
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Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Potato Meat Loaf

Serves 4
Oven350°F
Total1 hr

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. Place sliced potatoes in baking dish.

  3. Place sliced onion over potatoes in baking dish.

Assemble

  1. Combine all ingredients except cheddar cheese soup, and mix well.

  2. Press into baking dish, forming an indentation in the middle.

  3. Pour cheddar cheese soup in indentation.

Bake and serve

  1. Bake for 1 hour at 350°F.

  2. Stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1406Calories
85 gProtein
46 gFat
158 gCarbs

Counts 11 of 12 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 11 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Beef100g cooked250
Pork100g cooked242
Potato1 medium (173g) baked161
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Soupnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together9,023 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  2. Onion + beeftop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,092 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Potato + cheddar cheesetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together932 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Potato + beeftop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,052 recipes

    Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).

  5. Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together8,305 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ground beef
Provides the main meaty body and protein that holds the loaf together as it sets.
Bulk sausage
Adds fat and seasoning, keeping the loaf moist and richly flavored as it bakes.
Egg
Binds the meat mixture so the loaf sets firm and holds its shape when sliced.
Soda crackers
Absorb juices and fat from the meat, helping the loaf stay tender and moist.
Potatoes
Form a starchy base layer that soaks up flavor and adds substance to the dish.
Cheddar cheese soup
Adds creamy moisture and savory richness as it heats and sauces the top.

The step that matters

Pressing the meat mixture with a central indentation. The well in the middle gives the cheese soup a place to pool instead of running off the loaf. Pressing the mixture firmly also helps the egg and crackers bind it so it holds together when cut.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, beef, egg, pepper, cheddar cheese):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Chivefits better
  3. Asparagusfits about as well
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against potato, beef, egg, pepper, cheddar cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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