Whole Plates Full Hearts

Okay, real talk: I did not grow up dreaming about cooking dinner for my family. And I definitely wasn’t out here thinking about making meatloaf… let alone moose meatloaf. 
And honestly? The whole cooking thing used to intimidate me. Like, deep sigh, where do I even start? 

But here we are. I’ve been slowly learning to embrace this part of life – learning to enjoy cooking, and more importantly, learning to serve my family through it.

Enter: Moose Meatloaf.
About a year ago, at midnight (because of course it was), we got a call from dispatch. I woke up my husband, both of us half-asleep, trying to figure out which of our friends needed help. We call dispatch back – plot twist: no friend emergency. It was our turn to pick up a moose off the roadkill list. (We had no idea we were still on the list three years later….)

Now, if you’re new here… in Alaska, there’s a roadkill list. When a moose gets hit, families or organizations on the list get a chance to harvest the meat so it doesn’t go to waste.

So my husband heads out at 1 AM and comes home with… a whole lot of moose. And suddenly, we’ve got a freezer full of it.

This meatloaf recipe comes from my dad (he could throw down in the kitchen). And it’s simple enough for my current season of life – meaning: no complicated steps, no fancy ingredients, and yes, the kids might actually eat it.

Spoiler alert: they did. And for once, I felt like I was winning at this whole dinner thing. 

My Go-To Moose Meatloaf Recipe
Here’s how I do it (nothing fancy).

Ingredients:

• 1½ lbs ground moose (ground beef or elk works too)
• ½ onion, chopped (rough chopped is fine – don’t stress)
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup breadcrumbs or crushed crackers
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground sage

Sauce:

• ¼ cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Dump everything (except sauce ingredients) in a big bowl and mix it with your hands (yes, your hands – embrace it).
3. Place mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake for 50 minutes, or until internal temp hits 150°F.
5. While that’s baking, mix up the sauce.
6. Spread sauce over the top, then bake for another 10 minutes.
7. Slice. Serve. Boom. Dinner = done.

Serving tip: Mashed potatoes and green beans are a classic. But honestly? Whatever veggie you’ve got will work.

Why I’m Sharing This
Because if you’re anything like me, figuring out this whole homemaking/cooking thing as you go…it helps to know you’re not alone.

You don’t have to be a perfect cook. You don’t have to love every second in the kitchen. But choosing to cook for your family even when it’s messy, loud, and imperfect? That’s love.

And sometimes that love looks like moose meatloaf on a Tuesday night.

So here’s to learning, laughing, and feeding your people.

If I can learn to do it, you can too!