Before It Became A Dinner Staple, Meatloaf Was Breakfast - Tasting Table

"While loaves of meat have been around since ancient Rome, the version of American meatloaf that we know and love today - that classic combination of ground meat, eggs, herbs and spices, onions, breadcrumbs, and maybe some ketchup, mustard or Worcestershire sauce - became popular in the U.S. in the late 1800s as a breakfast food. You heard that right. But why did meatloaf start out next to our eggs and pancakes, and when did it transition to evening fare?"

"First, we must thank the Romans, who used to combine animal brains, offal, and other less desirable parts of the animal into what eventually transformed into what we know as meatloaf. Thie Roman tradition evolved into what was known in Medieval Europe as pastez, patties of this ground meat mixed with pine nuts and spices. Good news (and dishes) travel fast, and soon the idea of ground meat bulked up with other ingredients made its way to countries like Germany and Sweden,"

"The Germans must have really loved their meatloaf because they brought it all the way to the United States. In the 1700s, the Pennsylvania Dutch, a group of German-speaking immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania, ate scrapple like you would bacon or sausage or any other breakfast meat. Scrapple is made from meat scraps, including organ meat and pieces of skin, which are often boiled and mixed with cornmeal and spices to form, well, a meat loaf."

Meatloaf traces to ancient Roman dishes combining brains, offal, and other less desirable parts into loaf-like preparations. Medieval European pastez were ground-meat patties mixed with pine nuts and spices. The concept spread to Germany and Sweden, where people developed regional versions. The technique aimed to extend meat supplies by adding bread, potatoes, eggs, and seasonings. German immigrants brought similar traditions to America, where Pennsylvania Dutch scrapple became a breakfast staple made from meat scraps, cornmeal, and spices. Hearty morning meat dishes provided sustenance for physical labor. By the late 1800s, American meatloaf resembled the modern mix of ground meat, eggs, herbs, and breadcrumbs.

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