The Best Traditional Meatloaf

 

Meatloaf is an old-fashioned recipe that everyone should be familiar with. It may not be the most aesthetically pleasing dish, but beauty is in the mind of the beholder, and damn, is it delicious—especially the next day in a sandwich OR with a fried egg on top! Here are some pointers for making the greatest meatloaf possible:

Cut your veggies small. And cook them first!

Large vegetable bits will result in a more crumbly meatloaf. We want you to spend an extra 3 or 4 minutes getting a fine dice or mince going. Any piece larger than 1/4" will undoubtedly get trapped in your knife's path when you attempt to slice, spoiling your clean cut as you plate. If you'd like, put in your coarsely chopped veggies and give it a few pulses to help you break them down further without further knifework (The trade-off here is more dishes to wash.)

You could incorporate raw onion, carrots, and celery into the meat before baking (they'll cook in the oven), but sautéing them before adds a lot more flavor. The time spent in the skillet with the oil and heat will help them caramelize, concentrating their taste and vegetal sweetness, resulting in a better bread.

You need eggs.

Don't skip them, believe us. The eggs aid in the binding of the meat, bread crumbs, and veggies into a loaf. They also keep the meatloaf moist, soft, and tasty. The meat would be thick and dry without them. Nobody loves thick and dry food!

You can substitute the bread crumbs.

Ground beef may be quite fatty, especially when cooked in a loaf pan, where the rich fluids have nowhere to escape. Bread crumbs serve to soften the richness by absorbing and gelatinizing the fat while also making the bread more structurally strong. We normally use regular bread crumbs, but seasoned, panko, fresh, or handmade bread crumbs will also work. You may also use almond flour, like we did in our Bacon-Wrapped Keto Meatloaf, to give a nutty taste while reducing carbohydrates.

Season generously. 

Unfortunately, under-seasoning food is a pretty common cooking error. In general, 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of meat is recommended. Just keep in mind that you're also flavoring your mirepoix (cooked carrot, onion, and celery mixture), so don't go crazy with the salt! Find the right proportion, or just double the sauce and serve with additional glaze!

Use a meat thermometer.

Meatloaf often seems done on the outside before it is fully cooked on the inside. And it won't hold together unless it's completely baked! So, even if you enjoy a medium-rare burger, a medium-rare meatloaf is not for you. Use an instant-read meat thermometer and keep the meatloaf in the oven until it registers 155°.

Let it rest. 

Allow the meatloaf to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. If you cut into it while it's still warm, it'll be more difficult to achieve clean slices. You won't have to worry about it becoming cold too fast because it was in the oven for nearly an hour.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and let us know how it turned out.

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time60 mins

Total Time120 mins

                                                     

Keyword:Meatloaf

Servings: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

Cooking spray

1 tbsp. butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. tomato paste

2 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. bread crumbs

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c. ketchup

2 tbsp. packed brown sugar

Freshly chopped parsley, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9"x5" loaf pan with cooking spray. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Mix in the onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring periodically, for 5 minutes, or until soft. Cook until the thyme and garlic are fragrant, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat and add Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly
2. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground beef, bread crumbs, and eggs in a large mixing basin. Place in prepared loaf pan.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup and brown sugar. 
4. Brush half of the ketchup mixture over the meatloaf and bake for 45 minutes. Brush with the remaining ketchup mixture and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the loaf reaches 155° in the center. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
5. To serve, cut into slices and garnish with parsley.