Pictured is the loaf after it has baked.

The name of this recipe worried me, which is why I had to try it.

I’ve never made meatloaf and have only consumed it twice in my entire 28 years of life, but I am confident that this “Economical Tuna Bake” is just fish meatloaf. Or perhaps it’s comparable to a tuna cake/patty, but larger and in loaf form. Either way, perhaps you get what I’m saying.

This recipe is economical — I’ll give it that. It wasn’t expensive to make and only took about an hour overall to prep and cook.

The taste, well, was a little boring. I didn’t have high expectations given the ingredients but I had gone a little heavy-handed with the seasonings. For instance, I put in a quarter of an onion versus one tablespoon and, although I don’t have the exact amount for the record, I added much more than ¼ teaspoon of red pepper. I’d suggest adding cayenne pepper and maybe some garlic (I love garlic). Something I’ve learned from my boyfriend, a Louisiana native, is don’t be shy with your seasonings.

The loaf, eaten plain, is a little dry but not bad. It could definitely benefit from being paired with some kind of sauce. My boyfriend said the loaf slices would be good as the protein for a sandwich — I agree.

Aside from what I mentioned above, I think this is a recipe that I would make again (with modifications, of course).

On a scale of “not being upset if the dog swipes it off the counter” to “oops, I’ve already eaten it all,” I’d rank this as “Thursday night dinner.”

Economical Tuna Bake

(serves 4-6)

2 cups tuna

2 cups bread crumbs

2 eggs

½ cup milk

1 tablespoon onion (grated)

2 ½ tablespoon parsley

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix tuna, milk, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Beat eggs and add. Add onion, parsley, and lemon juice to the mixture and mix thoroughly. Pack in a greased loaf pan. Bake in a moderately hot oven (375 degrees F) for about 45 minutes.