91-Year-Old Carol Burnett’s Favorite Comfort Food Is So Nostalgic

Carol Burnett was a comedy trailblazer. In 1967, she became the first woman to host her own variety show, and in the decades to come, she cemented her status as a legend.

Not surprisingly, Carol spent more time on stage than in the kitchen. She does have at least one famous recipe, though. During the question-and-answer session at the end of one of her show’s episodes, an audience member asked Carol about what she likes to cook. In response, Carol revealed that she makes a great meat loaf.

What is Carol Burnett’s meat loaf recipe?

In the famous clip, Carol asks the audience member, “Gotta pencil?” Then, she describes in detail how she makes her meat loaf.

First, Carol says, you take “a bunch” of ground round (aka lean ground beef) and mix it up in a bowl with a couple of eggs, some milk, bread crumbs, chopped onions, salt, pepper, celery salt, garlic salt and tomato sauce. Then, form the mixture into a loaf, place in a pan, cover with more tomato sauce mixed with water and pop in an oven preheated to 350°F for about 45 minutes.

“And then you go out to dinner,” Carol quips.

Carol’s response on the show left out measurements, of course, but in 1978, the recipe landed in Habilitat’s Celebrity Cookbook. The recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground beef and specifies the amount of tomato sauce as two 8-ounce cans. The written recipe also adds chopped green peppers and calls for a longer oven time of 1-1/2 hours at a reduced temperature—325°.

Carol’s famous meat loaf recipe is fairly traditional, and even longtime fans report that it could use more flavor. If you want meat loaf for dinner tonight, consider Ree Drummond’s meat loaf, which adds Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and bacon to the mix, or our most popular meat loaf recipe, which calls for ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire.

Whatever recipe you choose, I recommend creamy mashed potatoes and fresh green beans on the side!