Odd....right!!!! My DH too.

My husband is the odd one. :) He does not like meatloaf or ground beef unless it's a hamburger.

Bah! I haven't had catsup in our house for more than 25 years. If a recipe calls for catsup, I substitute barbeque sauce. I wrap my meatloaf with bacon. Bacon beats up catsup every time. :)

gyr_falcon....YUM!

My DH hates meatloaf....but will eat meatballs and he doesn't like catsup....just a dab on a hamburger. His favorite thing right now is tostados.

DH loves catsup on meatloaf, beef stew, and of all things, salmon. I can do catsup on meatloaf sandwiches, but if it's hot out of the oven, or on my stew, the thought repulses me. To put it on a beautiful piece of salmon is sacrilege! OTOH, I love catsup on roast beef sandwiches, which DH things is wrong, he likes his with mustard.

We love ketchup on our meatloaf. Although my husband did recently have gravy on it at a restaurant and he loved that also. I love ketchup on my salmon patties. YUM!

Meatloaf is one of the few things I eat with ketchup. However on a cold meatloaf sandwich I use mustard, never ketchup. DH likes ketchup on both.

Love a meat loaf sandwich on rye with mayo, lettuce and tomato. No husband to complain :o)

I seldom make meatloaf although DH does like it. To much ground beef for me however I do like toasted meatloaf sandwiches with mayo and mustard and lettuce - no ketchup.

I think meatloaf is a manly thing. That's what draws them. Not sure about the Catsup, but hubby loves it.

If you go to a trade show on business in Las Vegas, they will serve you scrambled eggs with a side of catsup. rolls eyes.

LOL! The only tradeshow I went to in Las Vegas got kicked out because we didn't gamble and drink enough. :)

[hanging head]...I like meatloaf with ketchup (and am female), especially if it's baked on and all caramelized. It might be plebeian, but it's mighty tasty.

Not here neither of us would eat meatloaf that way. I don't make a normal meatloaf though, I stuff mine and use a white cheese sauce the only tomato is a couple of romas I dice up to sprinkle in.

My husband loves meatloaf, one of his favorites. And yes, he puts catsup on it. He loves a meatloaf sandwich, also. I am not fond of it but can eat it-with catsup!

I never use catsup. Except on meatloaf. It just isn't meatloaf without it. I haven't made one in forever, and actually bought the ingredients for it yesterday?! While I was there, I envisioned a tomato sauce based "sauce" that I could put on instead of catsup, and declined to do it. It aint fittin', just aint fittin'. As Mammie said in Gone with the Wind.

I have to have some catsup with meatloaf too. My husband used to douse it on everything, even deep fried fish

Put some ketchup IN the meatloaf, and some Dijon for zip!

I think for many of us, meatloaf is a comfort food. Mom made it. Grams made it. As trends change, we add our own touches, but now and then it's just plain good! I loved the Gone with the Wind quote regarding lack of ketchup. "It aint fittin', just aint fittin'. "

I haven't made meatloaf in ages. Only tasty if there's *too much* fat content! I made mine with ketchup IN it. (BTW, I really like the Heinz "Simply Ketchup" with a lower sugar content.) Does your meatloaf contain pork? (No veal bought or consumed in my household.)

The Heinz Balsamic Ketchup is amazing!! It's all I buy now!

I remember when my MIL had meatloaf, she had either scalloped potatoes or macaroni & cheese bake. I can still taste it.....she was a great cook! Everything she made was from scratch & I don't think I have ever had macaroni & cheese as good.

Here we go off topic, but my mom made the best scratch baked mac and cheese, and I just can't seem to get it right. Sigh. I watched her just layer the cooked mac, butter, salt, pepper and grated cheese and pour milk over and bake it. BEST! She had the touch. I don't.

Husband loves meatloaf. With ketchup. I usually make two, so he has sandwiches for a couple of days.
When I bake a ham he douses his with ketchup. Drives me crazy!

Have you known an adult who still eats like a child: One thing on the plate at a time? (OMG, the peas are *touching* the mashed potatoes!) Do you know people who salt their food before they taste it? Do you know people who 'defend' their plates and eat fast? (From big families? Lived in a boarding house or fraternity?)

Ketchup and Ham? - I really don't know what to make of that.

Ketchup is great on ham-sweet and salty.

Great thread !! My husband loves meatloaf. We like Paula's Dean meatloaf recipe with oatmeal, but instead of green pepper I use celery. Below is a link to my Pinterest for meat loaf recipes:

https://www.pinterest.com/clonewar/tested-blue-ribbon-winning-recipes/

"why some people gotta go hatin' on some ketchup?" HAHA! But seriously, why all the ketchup hating? You'd think that eating ketchup was a mortal sin or a crime punishable(apparently) by death.

I use ketchup in the recipe when I make meatloaf (which isn't very often) but don't ever put ketchup on anything.

I don't think death is a suitable punishment for the crime of eating ketchup, I think eating ketchup IS the punishment for the crime of eating ketchup.

I read an article where they interviewed fine dining chefs about ketchup. They all love Heinz. They make "housemade" ketchup because the expectation is that everything is from scratch, but none of them have made one that they consider equal to Heinz. ;) Another chef explained in great detail all the ways that Heinz ketchup has a perfect flavor profile. The L.A. chef with the hamburger restaurant where they refuse to serve ketchup has said that it's banned because ketchup is so tasty.

Agreed on the Simply Heinz, though. It tastes like my memory of "real" ketchup.

DH adores ketchup on his meatloaf. I prefer gravy. But he does not use ketchup on everything, just loves it on his meatloaf.

For a little change-up to the ketchup, try making a sweet and sour glaze by reducing ketchup, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and cumin.

Add last 10 minutes of cooking, and reserve some for the table.

I like ketchup on my meatloaf and I like gravy too if it is made right. I like ketchup on my eggs and on my fried potatoes. I could even eat a ketchup sandwich!
Sue (from Red Gold country)

Ketchup on mac and cheese. Mmmmm....

Considering the Great Ketchup War from a few years back, this hot topic is amusing to see brought up again. The temper tantrums were hilarious, and all because not everyone likes two inches of ketchup on everything they eat. To each their own.

I go through very little ketchup these days, though I used to like it. But I don't particularly care for Heinz anymore. I get the Hunts without HFCS. I'm not a nutcase about HFCS but just think it tastes better than Heinz. I usually will choose a good BBQ sauce over ketchup or go without condiments when the food can stand on its own.

Yes, the Simply Heinz doesn't have the HFCS and tastes better. But NOT slathered on. It's a condiment, not a soup.

Most store-bought BBQ sauce has high fructose corn syrup as well.

I wouldn't call myself a nutcase about it either but I try to avoid it as much as possible. It's really bad for you, numerous negative health effects have been identified. It's a laboratory created substance, like transfats. Consuming sugar in large quantities isn't the great choice either, but sugar is less risky to consume than HFCS.

Considering the minimal amount of barbeque sauce I consume within any given month, it is doubtful that is going to be what the coroner writes as my cause of death.

Barbecue sauce is easy to make. I just have a hard time putting enough sugar in it so I buy bottled for when I only need a dollop and want the sugar. For a mild, smoky barbecue sauce, Trader Joe's makes a good one. The all around best I've tried is OooWee! (both the mild and hot--the hot really is hot) http://www.oooweebbq.com/ For a sweet sauce that doesn't need to be cooked with meat juices (like for fries) Noh Hawaiian isn't bad. None of these have HFCS. All would be good on meatloaf. :)

Yes my husband is Italian and his favorite food is Italian meatballs or sausage and he considers meatloaf just a giant meatball and it sends him into orgasm...Of course it must be doused in catsup..

Meatloaf just sounds manly. Hunky. And the Ketchup probably brings memories of any sport out there. Together, they seem to be the dream dinner for a lot of men. Not all of course.

My ex put catsup on everything, as well as mustard, hot sauce, and Miracle Whip -- we called him "Condiment Man." I'll never, ever forget spending 3 days making sauerbraten, and then he put catsup on it.

Although I do like meatloaf with catsup! And hot dogs. And french fries . . .

I love catsup with French Fries! Although while living in Spain they were served with homemade mayonnaise and a dash of hot sauce. That was good, too.

I love making, serving, and eating meatloaf. I make several at a time and freeze them. Before roasting, I douse them with...you got it...catsup! I but the kind with no high fructose corn sugars. DH adds more once it's on his plate.

Here are three meatloaves ready for the freezer and one ready to cook. To the ground meat I added chopped red onion, green pepper, celery, and carrot to this batch...along with a couple eggs, bread crumbs, oats, garlic, pepper, and probably a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

Then I pegged bacon over the catsup-smothered loaf...

And it was good! I didn't get an "after photo. I made these in smaller pans that would fit in the toaster oven.

ChiSue...I loved your post and am guilty as charged...on some counts.

One thing on the plate at a time? (OMG, the peas are *touching* the mashed potatoes!)

That would be me...and I'm 59 years old. I do...not...want my food to touch. Okay, gravy may touch potatoes and/or meat. Butter may touch bread. But meat or potatoes should not touch bread. Ice cream can touch pie or cake. No veggies should ever touch any other veggie or any meat, or any bread. Ever.

To prevent foods, especially veggies, from "touching" I use small bowls instead of a large dinner plate. Peas...in their own bowl. Salad...in it's own bowl. Grilled eggplant...on it's own saucer. Buttered potatoes...in a small bowl - so the butter does not melt, spread all over a plate, and lose it's close bond with the potatoes. A slice of meat on another small plate. I don't mind washing a few simple small bowls. I would mind if the foods were all jumbled together.

Of course, at friends' or acquaintances' homes, I eat what's on my plate, usually one food at a time, and ignore the fact my food is touching. I love it when anyone invites me to dine with them; what an honor!

One dear friend (seriously), knowing of my eating preferences, served my dinner on two of her toddlers' divided plates. Plenty of spaces for foods, none of which touched. I loved it. She gets me!

Do you know people who salt their food before they taste it?

Yep; my dear husband. No matter what is set on the table, and no matter how many or how few dishes I put it in...he sits down, looks at everything, picks up the salt shaker and shakes, shakes, shakes.

Because of this I have stopped using salt in my recipes. I can at least regulate some of the salt he gets.

Do you know people who 'defend' their plates and eat fast?

I'm innocent of this one. I eat very slowly and if someone wants something off of my plate(s) they are welcome to it.

Caroline, your post made me smile. It's beautiful to hear how you've accommodated your preferences, and I can read joy between the lines.

I am a guilty plate defender. I was an only child and all the kids were out there playing and my parents made me eat the entire thing, so I ate it fast. Then came the cafeteria in High School, BELL. Eat before the bell so you can go socialize... I defend meatloaf with Ketchup!! Eat it fast!! So you don't even know you don't have room for more!

The no touching made me laugh. Then I remembered while young, often we would eat on those metal military mess trays. SIMILAR Guess my father wandered off with some. (Just so you know, if you plan to haul him in for it, he is long dead.) There must be a market for Amazon to have such a collection to offer!

I guess I am childlike in that certain foods shouldn't touch. I can't stand eggs touching anything other than buttered toast. No bacon, certainly no jelly or honey is allowed near my eggs :-)

To stay on topic, I love catsup on my meatloaf and prefer Simply Heinz. I don't care at all about HFCS :-) Pretty sure something else will be responsible for my demise.