by adding oatmeal? I've not done this except for the occasional meatloaf when I was out of breadcrumbs. Was curious the results.

I am amazed at all the info you have. You are always posting good ideas and I just wanted to say thank you....can't wait to see if you can do this.....:)

I've stretched it with cous cous and rice but not oatmeal. I love oatmeal so I'm thinking it would taste great.

i stretch hamburger with ground turkey but don't tell any of them cuz they think they don't like it! :D Me sneaky!!

Whenever I make sloppy joes (bbq's), I stretch the meat with oatmeal and it works great! Adds a bit more nutrition, too. ;)

My friend gave me this trick 11 years ago and I have done many times and I think it works great and my fmaily never noticed, especially in casseroles or what ever I was making. Thanks for the reminder, Sara...I had forgotten about this lately....I will be trying it again...my 3 older boys eat SO MUCH! :toothy:

No, but I like the idea! I've been crushing up ShopRite saltines that we bought ages ago and are stale, stale, stale. I put them in a plastic baggie and let Julia stomp all over it until they are not just cracker crumbs, but a fine, cracker powder. So, that's what I've been using for breadcrumbs in my meatloaf and meatballs to stretch the beef. However, when I run out, I may buy some cheap oatmeal and try that!

I've been using oatmeal as a stretcher in meatloaf and meatballs since my teen years (no smart alleck comments from the peanut gallery please about how long that has been;) ). My kids have all been trained to do this as well. I also add 3 cups of rice to the Zaterine's Jambalya rice mixes and just add extra water. It helps tone down the "heat" and stretches it further with 3 hungry teen boys in the house.:toothy:

I thought that was how you are supposed to make meatloaf and meatballs etc... by using breadcrumbs or oatmeal. And to think all these years I have been frugal and didn't know it! :D

Yes, I add oatmeal to my hamburger in meatloaf and homemade salisbury steak. I can't tell it's in there, and I'm getting extra oatmeal into DH's diet any way I can due to his high cholesterol.

I have always used oatmeal in meatloaf and sloppy joes. It just "disappears" no one knows it's in there. Oatmeal is good for you too.

I was told this way to stretch hamburger for meatballs by an Italian woman. I tried it last week and it's better than breadcrumbs.

Soak stale bread slices in enough milk to cover them. I used three bread slices and about 1/2 cup milk and let it sit for a couple of hours. Then I made my meatballs the same way but using the broken apart bits of milky bread instead of breadcrumbs or rice or cous cous or oatmeal. The meatballs were really delicious and moist, not dry like some can be when made with dry breadcrumbs. It's worth a try, I bet you'll all love it.

How much oatmeal and ground beef do you use when making sloppy joes? I have used oatmeal in my meatloaf, but I'd like to try it in sloppy joes, too.