My grandma's 'secret' ingredient was just a regular jar of mustard

I was looking through her old recipe box from the 70s and found her meatloaf card. It called for a tablespoon of yellow mustard, which I always thought was weird. I asked my aunt about it and she said grandma started adding it after a neighbor gave her some in 1975 when she ran out of Worcestershire sauce. It just stuck because my grandpa liked it. I made it last week and it actually gives it a nice little tang without being too strong. Does anyone else have a family recipe with a weird add-in that started from a simple mistake or swap?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas.mark13d ago

Always thought mustard in meatloaf sounded wrong. My mom used to add a splash of ketchup and that was it. Tried your grandma's trick last night. You're right, it's not strong at all. Just a little zip in the background. Might keep doing it.

finley77712d ago

My buddy swore by his mom's meatloaf recipe too, until his new girlfriend snuck some dijon in there. He didn't even notice until she asked how he liked the "secret ingredient." He was ready to be mad, but then he had to admit it was actually better. It's just one of those things you think will be weird until you try it. Glad it worked out for you too, @thomas.mark, sometimes the old tricks are the best ones.