Making it stretch

[Rooney]

Do any of you use anything to make hamburger meat stretch for making just plain hamburgers or meatloaf?  Any ideas other than oats or crackers (too salty)?

[Cheryl]

My mother always used bread crumbs.  I use them too sometimes and have used bits of leftover vegetables grated up in the meat.  My picky eater doesn't even notice.

[greyhoundgirl]

My mom always used rice or cracker crumbs.   I tend to use rice or oats since both are cheap and gluten-free (for the times when I'm being careful with that).

[pamgonzo]

I have used fresh chopped mushrooms before.

I had to chop them really tiny to get them past my mushroom hater, but it worked! 
Good consistency too.

Pam

[bobbie78]

I second the rice. I use it to bulk up my meatloaf. Its pretty tasty, too.

[Alice]

I always take the unused part of the bread (the ends, or the last unwanted slice) and blend them up into crumbs and put in a container to freeze. I just keep adding crumbs to that same container so whenever I need crumbs for meatloaf or breaded chicken or anything else that breadcrumbs can be used I always have a healthy supply ready.

I also use a lot of onions, carrots, breadcrumbs (or cracker crumbs) and just about anything to stretch meatloaf. I do like to mix meats also--like beef and seasoned ground pork or any other kind of ground meat. Sometimes instead of milk, I use beer and then make beer glaze or sometimes it will be using milk in the recipe and then a ketchup, brown sugar, mustard glaze.

I love meatloaf as an adult but I hated it as a child. I'm thinking the childhood recipe might have had oats in it or a package of that dry onion soup that just didn't do it for me.

This reminds me that I went out for lunch with my brother and parents on Saturday and Dad ordered meatloaf. It was the sorriest looking meatloaf I have ever seen. He almost needed a chisel to cut through it. I better make my dad a good meatloaf since he did say he likes it a lot. He also wants a butternut squash soup with a kick. Hmm, I'm thinking he needs a few meals.

Alice

[pamgonzo]

Another thought:

Alice has me thinking about meatloaf. 

When I make meatloaf, I use a package of stovetop stuffing mix. 
Just throw it in with the meat, an egg and I add a cup of ketchup w/ the stuffing mix.  It is a yummy & moist meatloaf, and my family enjoy it.  Not the healthiest of additions, but still enjoyable & inexpensive.

Pam