Why thank you “A.I.” for this depiction of a simpler time, because I am taking part in a food challenge that asked me to revisit an old favorite cookbook – and I went to one of the originals!
“The Joy Of Cooking” was first published by Irma S. Rombauer in 1931, and is a classic American cookbook that became a kitchen staple, selling over 20 million copies and continuously in print since 1936. Written out of necessity after her husband’s death, it’s known for its comprehensive recipes, witty and encouraging tone, and old-fashioned recipes that evoke an earlier time…I’ll explain what’s on the plate in front of it in a moment but first, Jo Tracy has her monthly cooking challenge going on at Brookford Kitchen Diaries! Here’s what she asked us to do:
“…let’s go into our collection and find an oldie but a goodie. Maybe something you haven’t cooked from for ages, something you’ve forgotten was there.”
That inspired me to make a classic Chicken Meatloaf recipe from “The Joy Of Cooking!” Here are your ingredients:
- Ground Poultry: 2 lbs ground chicken
- Panade: 1 cup breadcrumbs (like panko) and 1/2 cup milk
- Aromatics: 1 cup chopped onions and 2 cloves minced garlic
- Binder: 2 large eggs
- Flavor Boosters: 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 TBS tomato paste or marinara,2 TBS fresh chopped parsley, and 2 TBS fresh chopped basil
- Seasoning: 3 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9× 5-inch loaf pan or line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sauté the Aromatics: Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions until soft and translucent, then add the garlic for the last minute until fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Soak the Breadcrumbs: In a small bowl, combine the milk and breadcrumbs. Let it sit for a few minutes until the bread absorbs the liquid.
Mix the Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the ground chicken, breadcrumb mixture, cooked onions, garlic, eggs, Parmesan cheese, tomato paste, herbs, salt, and pepper. Do not overmix, or the meatloaf will become dense.
Here’s a video showing how quickly it all comes together.
Shape & Bake: Shape the mixture into a loose loaf and place it in your prepared pan or on the baking sheet. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches exactly 165°F.
Then I added some marinara sauce on top, sprinkled it liberally with mozzarella cheese, and put it back in for 15 min to melt the cheese.
Here’s how easy that was:
Rest & Serve: Let the meatloaf rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing to let the juices redistribute – add chopped parsley and here is the result!
I should point out that no, I didn’t use a meatloaf tin – I didn’t have one in New York! But it held its shape and cut easily:
I chose to serve it over mashed potatoes, and here is how it was presented to Alex;
We were very happy with the flavor of this meatloaf: the key is to add lots of herbs and marinara, as chicken meatloaf can be a bit flavorless!
It helped that I had very garlicky mashed potatoes underneath as well!
I link to Jo’s original post about the monthly challenge down below…I have a blast taking part so co to her site and check it out!
This recipe reminded me of the hot new food trend for 2026: classic comfort food!
See what that means here:
Of course, there is no better place to go full on “retro” than “Viva Las Vegas!”
This is the view from The Venetian Hotel…that’s the Bellagio fountain below, with the Las Vegas Strip and the Paris hotel across the street. Here’s the fountain in action:
While we were there, we had a terrific retro dinner – with a Chef who recreated the iconic Chef Boy-R-Dee Spaghetti-O’s – check them out!
See our entire retro menu here!
Las Vegas is a great getaway for two days of gaming, eating, and sightseeing…and it still has a “retro” feel in certain parts as well.
I am really into vintage retro food – like this:
Bernadette shared this classic pot roast recipe and here it is to make at home yourself!
Thanks to Jo for once again putting on this cooking challenge – go read her terrific contribution here!
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Categories: Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Chef memoirs, Cookbooks, Eat This!, Fine Dining, Food, Food Travel, Food Writing, Recipes, Travel, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
Bite! Eat! Repeat! 
Hi John, I’ve never seen meatloaf made with chicken before. You would need more flavor ants as chicken can be a bit bland. This looks good.
I like to use turkey mince for meatloaf and meat patties. Gives a better flavour than chicken i find – tho i do have a fab recipe for chicken patties in a red curry sauce. Anyways, this looks delicious John.
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/2026/06/thai-chicken-retro-style.html
(via BKD cookbook club).
I do think some of the old classic recipes are timeless.