What's the best meatloaf recipe?

Peace and love on this holiday weekend.

If it calls for ketchup, it cannot be the best. Ketchup is vile, and turns anything it touches to garbage.

That recipe sounds good, but I don’t know about substituting oatmeal for breadcrumbs. And I’m a fan of covering the top with ketchup and letting it make a nice ketchupy glaze.

But I’ve never added, carrot, celery, bell pepper, or half-and-half to a meat loaf and those all sound like interesting additions.

[quote]If it calls for ketchup, it cannot be the best. Ketchup is vile, and turns anything it touches to garbage.

Have you never had a french fry?

I think the best advice for meatloaf is to keep it simple.

I love French fries, R4. Not with ketchup though. The foul stench of ketchup turns my stomach.

Caesar, ranch, Italian dressing, mustard, queso, mayo, or even plain are all better than ketchup.

R6, are you Dutch by chance?

Where’s Greg?????

This is the best meatloaf recipe:

Pound the hamburger; mix it in bowl with ketchup and onions; cook in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes; remove from oven and then THE most important part..... Throw the entire thing in the trash and go to a restaurant.

Nope, not Dutch. Plain old American, born in the land of sky blue waters.

It's Monty's Blue Plate Diner, by the way.

[quote]the land of sky blue waters.

wa-a-ters

This recipe looks really good, op. Thanks!

Gregório!!!! Help us!

If you want the tomato but don't want the kethup, do what I do - 8oz can of tomato sauce, 1/2 can in the meat mixture, 1/2 can spread on the top of the meatloaf AFTER you put it under the broiler. for 10 minutes. Then spread the tomato sauce, and proceed to bake.

I do the Lipton Soup and Oatmeal version. Simple. Good.

I've tried the many "fancy" and different recipes, and they're fine - often very good - but for comfort I go with simple.

^^^ Ketchup. Damn. I don't even have a lisp.

The Monte's recipe sounds good but kind of tricked-out. I would consider celery and green bell peppers unnecessary. I am sure the sausage makes the whole thing taste better, but I think that's almost like a cheat ingredient.

I used plain ground pork this time around because I didn't have sausage. The sausage makes it. The carrots and celery pretty much disappear. I do put a ketchup/BBQ glaze on top.

I like it for sandwiches rather than as an entree.

^^^^^^ OP

Whatever recipe you follow, make sure you do these things:

1. Cook your onions, and any other vegetables you add, until they're soft. When they're cool, mix with the rest. This is my first step in making meatloaf.

2. Mix everything with a panade (bread chunks soaked in milk then squeezed dry).

3. Bake meatloaf freeform on a sheet pan or other baking dish with low sides. The meat steams in regular bread pans. Not a good thing.

My very favorite meatloaf is from Frank Bruni's mother Leslie's recipe, which I found in Frank's book (with Jennifer Steinhauer), A Meatloaf in Every Oven. I'm unable to link to the recipe, but it's googleable.

Leslie Bruni's Sweet Nostalgic Loaf

This meatloaf is easily upsized by 1.5 times or 2 times. In the first case, keep it in the oven 5 to 7 minutes longer; in the second case, 10 to 12 minutes more, and in a significantly larger pan. SERVES 4

1–2 tablespoons salted butter

1 medium-sized white or yellow onion, finely chopped

½ cup whole milk or half-and-half

3 slices white bread, not too thick, crusts removed

1½ pounds ground chuck or other high-fat ground beef

½ cup unseasoned bread crumbs

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 8-ounce cans Hunt’s tomato sauce or a similar canned, unseasoned tomato sauce

3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon or other slightly zingy mustard

3 tablespoons white vinegar

3 tablespoons brown sugar (either dark or light is fine)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a glass, metal or other kind of 13-by-9-inch baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil.

2. In a small or medium-sized skillet over low heat, melt only enough butter to coat the skillet. Add the onions and turn the heat to medium, stirring the onions occasionally and cooking until they soften and turn slightly translucent, no more than 12 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, pour the milk or half-and-half into a shallow bowl, place each side of each slice of bread in the liquid just long enough to moisten it and then transfer the bread slices to a large mixing bowl. Discard the leftover milk or half-and-half.

4. Add the beef, bread crumbs, eggs and half of one of the cans of tomato sauce to the bread in the large mixing bowl, and blend together with your clean hands, using a kneading motion, just until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Transfer the mixture to the baking pan, shaping it into a loaf whose width is consistent except at the slightly tapered ends.

5. Separately, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk the remaining 1½ cans of tomato sauce with the Worcestershire, mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the sauce over the loaf so that it coats the top and pools at the sides.

6. Cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on the desired doneness; 145 degrees F is perfect for medium-rare, which we think is best. Remove the pan from the oven and let the loaf rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Then slice it into individual servings and use a large spoon to ladle sauce from the pan over each portion.

Thanks so much, r21.

- r20

Here's a nice tangy recipe from Leslie Bruni (mother of the NYT's Frank Bruni).

Sorry!

These recipes are too fussy. I don’t want a salad in my meatloaf. Just ground beef, bread crumbs, tomato paste, an egg, and chopped onion.

[quote]Just ground beef, bread crumbs, tomato paste, an egg, and chopped onion.

Salt, garlic powder, Italian seasonings? Nothing else?

I think what you want sounds like a hamburger.

Don't be sorry, r24. Thank you.

R26, sometimes I include chopped garlic as well. Meatloaf doesn’t have to be complicated. And it’s different from a hamburger. I wouldn’t add any of those ingredients to a hamburger, except perhaps the onions.

Do you cook your onions first, r28?

Look at R21 giving credit to where they found the recipe rather than claiming it as their own BEST EVER recipe.

Well done R21. There are some others who post here who could learn a thing or two from you.

R29, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends on the type of onion I have and how lazy I am.

My own meatloaf recipe is descended from my mom's, but I've innovated considerably from her version of it.

2 lbs Ground Beef, preferably lean

1 16oz package Owens Hot Sausage

1 medium White Onion, diced

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced

2 tablespoons Minced Garlic

4 eggs

2 tablespoons beef broth powder (Knorrs)

1 tsp black pepper

1 16oz can Tomato Paste

¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce

1½ tsp Ground Celery Seed

1 tsp Yellow Mustard Powder

2 cups Old Fashioned Oats

Ketchup

Heinz 57 Steak Sauce

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, onions, garlic and green pepper, mustard and celery powder, Worcestershire, tomato paste, and beef broth powder, stirring thoroughly with a fork until well-combined. Add sausage, ground beef, and oats, mixing with your hands (yes, it's kind of distasteful, but hands wash). Divide up into eight mini-loaves, each about softball size, oval-shaped, and place on an oven broiler pan (the underpan will catch the grease). Top each mini-loaf with a mixture of ketchup and Heinz 57 Steak Sauce. Heat the oven to 400°, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. The sauce on the tops should be slightly blackened.

Serve with your best mashed potatoes, and green beans cooked with bacon (I like Italian cut).

The measurements here are approximate; I've been making this recipe for years, and it's always been something I just throw together. So it was a little difficult to quantify exactly what I put into it by exact measurements. But this ought to be pretty close.

This was originally posted in the 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐎𝐀𝐅? thread from 2020/2021, at reply 142. Being an older thread, it probably will not last much longer.

Thanks for the tip about the 2021 thread. I googled it and pulled out two recipes. Leslie Bruni's and Blue Plate Diner were listed there.

Ingredients • 1 tablespoon butter • 1/4 cup minced onion • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1  1/2 teaspoons salt • 1  1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper • 2 pounds extra-lean ground beef • 3 slices bread, toasted and crumbled • 7 buttery round crackers, crushed • 1 egg, lightly beaten • 3  1/2 tablespoons sour cream • 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, divided • 1/4 cup milk (Optional) • 3 tablespoons ketchup Directions Step 1 Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Step 2 In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the chopped onion and garlic until the onion turns translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Turn off the heat, and season with salt and pepper. Step 3 In a large mixing bowl, combine the sauteed onion and garlic with the beef, crumbled bread, crushed crackers, egg, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 can tomato sauce. Add the milk about a tablespoon at a time until the consistency is moist but not saturated. Place in a loaf pan to prepare for baking. Step 4 After 40 minutes of baking uncovered, increase your oven to 400 degrees F. Continue baking the meatloaf another 15 minutes or so, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 F. Step 5 In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining tomato sauce and ketchup. Pour over the top of the meatloaf, and do one final bake for another 10 minutes.

2 lbs Ground Beef, preferably lean 1 16oz package Owens Hot Sausage 1 medium White Onion, diced 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced 2 tablespoons Minced Garlic 4 eggs 2 tablespoons beef broth powder (Knorrs) 1 tsp black pepper 1 16oz can Tomato Paste ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce 1½ tsp Ground Celery Seed 1 tsp Yellow Mustard Powder 2 cups Old Fashioned Oats Ketchup Heinz 57 Steak Sauce ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients, mixing with your hands (yes, it's kind of distasteful, but hands wash). Divide up into eight mini-loaves, each about softball size, oval-shaped, and place on an oven broiler pan (the underpan will catch the grease). Top each mini-loaf with a mixture of ketchup and Heinz 57 Steak Sauce. Heat the oven to 400°, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. The sauce on the tops should be slightly blackened. Serve with your best mashed potatoes, and green beans cooked with bacon (I like Italian cut).

With better spacing. Sorry.

Ingredients • 1 tablespoon butter

• 1/4 cup minced onion

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1  1/2 teaspoons salt'

• 1  1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

• 2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

• 3 slices bread, toasted and crumbled

• 7 buttery round crackers, crushed

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 3  1/2 tablespoons sour cream

• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, divided

• 1/4 cup milk (Optional)

• 3 tablespoons ketchup

Directions

Step 1 Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2 In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the chopped onion and garlic until the onion turns translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Turn off the heat, and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3 In a large mixing bowl, combine the sauteed onion and garlic with the beef, crumbled bread, crushed crackers, egg, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 can tomato sauce. Add the milk about a tablespoon at a time until the consistency is moist but not saturated. Place in a loaf pan to prepare for baking.

Step 4 After 40 minutes of baking uncovered, increase your oven to 400 degrees F. Continue baking the meatloaf another 15 minutes or so, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 F.

Step 5 In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining tomato sauce and ketchup. Pour over the top of the meatloaf, and do one final bake for another 10 minutes

2 lbs Ground Beef, preferably lean

1 16oz package Owens Hot Sausage

1 medium White Onion, diced

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced

2 tablespoons Minced Garlic

4 eggs

2 tablespoons beef broth powder (Knorrs)

1 tsp black pepper

1 16oz can Tomato Paste

¼ cup Worcestershire Sauc

e 1½ tsp Ground Celery Seed

1 tsp Yellow Mustard Powder

2 cups Old Fashioned Oats

Ketchup

Heinz 57 Steak Sauce ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In a large mixing bowl,

combine the ingredients, mixing with your hands (yes, it's kind of distasteful, but hands wash). Divide up into eight mini-loaves, each about softball size, oval-shaped, and place on an oven broiler pan (the underpan will catch the grease). Top each mini-loaf with a mixture of ketchup and Heinz 57 Steak Sauce

. Heat the oven to 400°, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. The sauce on the tops should be slightly blackened. Serve with your best mashed potatoes, and green beans cooked with bacon (I like Italian cut).

Alton Brown's

GLAZE 1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the chipotles

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

MEATLOAF

3 cups garlic-flavored croutons

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped (1 1/3 cups)

1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into large pieces

1 medium carrot, peeled and broken into a few large pieces

3 cloves garlic, peeled

18 ounces chuck roast, trimmed of excess gristle and silver skin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

18 ounces sirloin roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 large egg

Crank the oven to 325ºF with a rack in the middle. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

Whisk the ketchup, tomato paste, chipotles, adobo sauce, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and garlic powder together in a small bowl.

This is your chipotle glaze. Measure out about 1/4 cup for serving, then reserve the remaining 3/4 cup for brushing on the meatloaf.

Load the work bowl of your food processor with the croutons, chili powder, thyme, black pepper, and cayenne (if desired) and pulse to coarse crumbs. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic to the food processor bowl and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula about halfway through the process, about 8 one-second pulses. Transfer to the bowl with the breadcrumbs.

In two batches, pulse the chuck and sirloin until it resembles a coarse, medium grind, 10 to 15 one-second pulses . Add the meat to the bowl with the crouton and vegetable mixture, along with the salt, and mix with your hands to combine.

Quickly work in the egg.

Pack the meat mixture into a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.

Run an offset spatula along the edge of the meatloaf, then turn the meatloaf out onto the prepared sheet pan

. Remove the loaf pan. Insert a temperature probe into the top of the loaf at a 45-degree angle, being careful not to push the tip through to the bottom of the pan.

Set the thermometer alarm for 155°F and place the pan on the middle rack in the oven.

After the meatloaf has been cooking for 15 minutes, slide it out on the rack and quickly brush with the 3/4 cup of the glaze

. Return to the oven and cook until the probe alarm sounds at 155°F, 45 minutes to 1 hour longer.

Transfer the meatloaf to a platter and let rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving with the remaining glaze for dipping.

Why hasn’t GREG responded?

Fingers crossed, R37.

Fingers crossed.

Alton Brown is so pretentious.

Can you put cheese in a meatloaf?

[quote]Why hasn’t GREG responded?

Please don’t invoke him. We all have enough problems of our own.

Certainly! Here's a recipe for a delicious cheesy meatloaf:

Ingredients: - 1.5 pounds ground beef - 1 cup breadcrumbs - 1/2 cup milk - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup finely chopped onion - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 2 eggs, beaten - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce - 1 teaspoon salt - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper - 1/4 cup ketchup (optional, for topping)

Instructions: 1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.

3. Transfer the mixture into a loaf pan, pressing it down to form a compact loaf shape. You can also shape it on a baking sheet if you prefer a free-form loaf.

4. If desired, spread the ketchup over the top of the meatloaf for added flavor and a caramelized glaze.

5. Place the meatloaf in the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C).

6. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. This will help the juices redistribute and make it easier to cut.

7. Serve slices of the cheesy meatloaf with your favorite side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or a green salad.

Enjoy your cheesy meatloaf!

I'd share my recipe for hare pâté en croûte but I can tell when it's best to move on.

The Serious Eats recipe has cheese in it, and a lot of other stuff like mushrooms and gelatin This is the world's fussiest meatloaf recipe. I bet no one has ever made it

Ingredients

1/2 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 ounce (2 packets; about 1 1/2 tablespoons) unflavored gelatin

2 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, crusts removed and torn into rough pieces

4 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, cleaned

3 anchovy filets

1/2 teaspoon marmite

2 teaspoons (10ml) soy sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

2 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped (about 2 teaspoons)

1 small onion, roughly chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 stalk celery, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 ounces freshly ground pork

1 1/4 pounds freshly ground beef

2 large eggs

4 ounces cheddar, provolone, Monterey Jack, or Muenster cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Glaze:

3/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Serious Eats Meatloaf instructions:

Combine the chicken stock and buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Set aside.

Place the bread and mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Add the anchovies, Marmite, soy sauce, paprika, and garlic to the processor bowl and pulse until reduced to a fine paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.

Heat the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the chopped vegetable mixture and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until it is softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes; the mixture should start to darken a bit. Stir in the buttermilk mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms and bread, stir thoroughly to combine, and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Heat the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the chopped vegetable mixture and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until it is softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes; the mixture should start to darken a bit. Stir in the buttermilk mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms and bread, stir thoroughly to combine, and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan, being sure that no air bubbles get trapped underneath. (You may have some extra mix, depending on the capacity of your pan; this can be cooked in a ramekin or free-form next to the loaf.) Tear off a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil large enough to line a rimmed baking sheet and use it to tightly cover the meatloaf, crimping it around the edges of the pan. Refrigerate the meatloaf while the oven preheats. (The meatloaf can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. When the oven is hot, remove the meatloaf from the refrigerator and, without removing the foil cover, carefully invert it onto the rimmed baking sheet. Loosen the foil and spread it out, leaving the pan on top of the meatloaf (see note). Fold up the edges of the foil to trap the liquid that escapes from the meatloaf while baking. Bake until just beginning to set (the top should feel firm to the touch), about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, Make the Glaze: Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and pepper in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is homogeneous, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Use a brush to apply some glaze to the meatloaf in a thin, even layer, then return it to the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Glaze again and bake for 3 minutes longer. Glaze one more time and bake until the glaze is beginning to bubble and is a deep burnished brown, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with any extra glaze and mustard or ketchup as desired.

I love Serious Eats. And Kenji López-Alt. I consider his book “The Food Lab” to be one of my food Bibles.

[quote]Caesar, [bold]ranch,[/bold] Italian dressing, mustard, queso, mayo, or even plain are all better than ketchup.

Ew, r6. Just...ew.

Now some supermarkets sell meatloaf “mix” - ground beef, pork and veal.

(i’m now seriously regretting outing Kenji López-Alt and his book. Because the G guy is probably going to go buy it and start posting those recipes as his own.)

Good morning, everyone!

Thanks for summoning me to request my recipe for the ultimate delicious meatloaf.

I’ll be happy to share that with you, but right now have to prepare a blueberry pie.

By the way, Kenji López-Alt stole my meatloaf recipe.

Oh God. It’s arrived.

Serious Eats Meatloaf Instructions Corrected

Combine the chicken stock and buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Set aside.

Place the bread and mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Add the anchovies, Marmite, soy sauce, paprika, and garlic to the processor bowl and pulse until reduced to a fine paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.

Heat the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the chopped vegetable mixture and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until it is softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes; the mixture should start to darken a bit. Stir in the buttermilk mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms and bread, stir thoroughly to combine, and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Add the ground meat to the bowl, along with the eggs, cheese, parsley, 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or half that volume in table salt), and 1 teaspoon pepper. With clean hands, mix gently until everything is thoroughly combined and homogeneous; it will be fairly loose. Pull off a teaspoon-sized portion of the mixture, place it on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave it on high power until cooked through, about 15 seconds. Taste the cooked piece for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper as desired.

Transfer the mixture to a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan, being sure that no air bubbles get trapped underneath. (You may have some extra mix, depending on the capacity of your pan; this can be cooked in a ramekin or free-form next to the loaf.) Tear off a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil large enough to line a rimmed baking sheet and use it to tightly cover the meatloaf, crimping it around the edges of the pan. Refrigerate the meatloaf while the oven preheats. (The meatloaf can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. When the oven is hot, remove the meatloaf from the refrigerator and, without removing the foil cover, carefully invert it onto the rimmed baking sheet. Loosen the foil and spread it out, leaving the pan on top of the meatloaf (see note). Fold up the edges of the foil to trap the liquid that escapes from the meatloaf while baking. Bake until just beginning to set (the top should feel firm to the touch), about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, Make the Glaze: Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and pepper in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is homogeneous, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Use a brush to apply some glaze to the meatloaf in a thin, even layer, then return it to the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Glaze again and bake for 3 minutes longer. Glaze one more time and bake until the glaze is beginning to bubble and is a deep burnished brown, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with any extra glaze and mustard or ketchup as desire

Alex Guarnaschelli Meatloaf

1 pound ground beef

3/4 pound ground pork

1 teaspoon hot paprika

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 small yellow onions, peeled and minced (should equal roughly 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 cup bread crumbs

2/3 cup ketchup

1 cup sour cream

1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stemmed, washed, dried and chopped, 1/4 cup total

1 small bunch tarragon, stemmed, washed, dried and chopped, 1/4 cup total

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Additional ketchup for brushing, if desired

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the beef and pork and gently knead them together with your hands. Add the paprika, salt and pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix to blend.

The taste test: Heat a small saucepan and add the vegetable oil. When the oil begins to smoke, lower the heat and add a small piece of the mixture. Cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and taste. Check seasoning. If too moist, add more bread crumbs. If too dry, add an extra egg.

Mold the meat into a loaf and place it in the center of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a pan without high edges will yield a meatloaf with a crust. Cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Brush it with additional ketchup and lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Bake until the meat is firm when touched or when it has an internal temperature of 150 degrees F, about 45 additional minutes. Remove from the oven, pour off any excess grease and allow it to "rest" for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Brush again with ketchup, if desired.

Ina Garten's 1770 House Meatloaf

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 cups chopped Spanish onion (1 large)

1 1/2 cups small-diced celery (2 stalks)

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground veal

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread flakes)

Garlic Sauce, recipe follows Garlic Sauce:

3/4 cup good olive oil

10 garlic cloves, peeled

2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent but not browned. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place the beef, veal, pork, parsley, thyme, chives, eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Put the panko in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the panko is finely ground.

Add the onion mixture and the panko to the meat mixture. With clean hands, gently toss the mixture together, making sure it's combined but not compacted.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan. Pat the meat into a flat rectangle and then press the sides in until it forms a cylinder down the middle of the pan (this will ensure no air pockets). Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in the middle reads 155 degrees F to 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve hot with the Garlic Sauce.

Garlic Sauce: Combine the oil and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will be bitter. Remove the garlic from the oil and set aside. (I save the oil for vinaigrettes.)

Combine the chicken stock, butter and cooked garlic in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook at a full boil for 35 to 40 minutes, until slightly thickened. Mash the garlic with a fork, whisk in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and taste for seasonings. Spoon the warm sauce over the meatloaf.

My mother used Campbell’s condensed tomato soup for the tomato element. She also used plain bread crumbs. What kind of texture does oatmeal give it?

I loved hamburgers as a child but I wasn’t crazy about my mother’s version of meatloaf. Yet I could eat it and it was good cold on a sandwich with mayo. I wouldn’t touch anyone else’s meatloaf. It always seemed to have huge hunks of soggy white bread in it.

I let the meatloaf with oatmeal mixture sit in the fridge for a half hour before I mold and bake it. That ensures the liquids are absorbed and the oatmeal disappears. I do the same thing with bread crumbs in a meatball mixture.

Greg, hurry up with that pie.

Your input is crucial!

I think of meatloaf as a what do I have around the house recipe. Got it? Give it a try & throw it in. I usually make it when my husband is out of town. Best discovery - if you have Bloody Mary mix in the house, use that rather than ketchup. More layered flavor. It’s really good.

Grandma always said "Don't let your meat loaf".

i like this one.

Damn! I was just in Madison. I missed it.

My mother's. She used ground beef, bread crumbs, an egg, a can of tomato soup, and some chopped onion. Before putting the meat loaf in the oven, she laid some bacon strips on it to bake along the meat loaf.

The Blue Plate Diner meatloaf seems to be based on the 72 Market Street Meatloaf, from a Venice Beach restaurant owned by Tony Bill and Dudley Moore and closed in 2000. It later became the Silver Palate New Basics Cookbook meatloaf and the Pierre Franey/ Craig Claiborne New York Times meatloaf. It's almost identical to Blue Plate except that it adds scallions and swaps breadcrumbs for oatmeal. Also the amounts and cooking times are different. Like the Kenji Serious Eats meatloaf, it's a weekend rather than a weeknight recipe.

Are there easier, equally delicious meatloaves? Hell yes. Is the Blue Plate/Market Street meatloaf a winner? I think so.

Ingredients 3 Tbs. unsalted butter

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup finely chopped green onion, white and green parts

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup minced red bell pepper

1/4 cup minced green bell pepper

2 tsp. minced garlic

salt to taste

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

3 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup half-and-half

2 lbs. lean ground beef chuck

12 oz. sausage meat (not fennel-flavored Italian sausage)

3/4 cup fine fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted on a cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter in a heavy skillet, and add the onion, green onions, carrrots, bell peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring often until moisture from the vegetables has evaporated,10 minutes. Set aside to cool; then refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least 1 hr.

Combine salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, cumin, nutmeg and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat well. Add ketchup and half-and-half. Blend thoroughly.

Add chuck, sausage and bread crumbs to egg mixture. Then add chilled vegetables and mix thoroughly with your "clean" hands, kneading gently for five minutes.

With damp hands, form mixture into an oval approximately 17 by 4-1/2 by 1-1/2 inches, resembling a loaf of bread.

Place loaf in a baking dish into which it will fit comfortably. Place in oven and bake 45-50 minutes. Let meatloaf rest 15 minutes before slicing. Serves 6 to 8.

**Five minutes before it comes out of the oven you can mix ketchup, brown sugar and mustard and spread it over the top

From the LA Times. This is the sauce 72 Market Street served with the meatloaf.

Sauce

4 shallots, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 sprig thyme

1 bay leaf

Dash crushed black pepper

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup veal or beef stock

1 cup chicken stock

Salt, pepper

Saute shallots in 1 tablespoon butter with thyme, bay leaf and black pepper. Add white wine and simmer over high heat until reduced to glaze.

Add beef stock and chicken stock and simmer over high heat until reduced by 1/3 or 1/2. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir until butter melts and sauce blends in. Discard bay leaf. Serve with meat loaf. Makes 1 cup.

Bill Blass made a famously great meatloaf. I’m surprised no one has mentioned it. The recipe is online

Bill Blass Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1cup chopped celery

1onion, chopped

3tablespoons butter

2pounds ground beef sirloin

½pound ground veal

½pound ground pork

½cup chopped fresh parsley

⅓cup sour cream

½cup soft bread crumbs

¼teaspoon dried thyme

¼teaspoon dried marjoram

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1egg

1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1½cups Heinz chili sauce

3 slices bacon

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, saute the celery and onion in the butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a large mixing bowl and cool.

Step 2 When the onions are cool enough to handle, add the meats, parsley, sour cream, bread crumbs, thyme, marjoram and salt and pepper to the bowl. Whisk the egg with the Worcestershire sauce and add to the mixture. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, combine the mixture and mold into the shape of a loaf.

Step 3 Place the meatloaf in the prepared pan. Top with the chili sauce and bacon slices. Bake until firm and nicely browned, about 1 hour.

I use what my mom copied down as "Ann Landers' Meatloaf"

very simple, very good. I'm not gonna write it out here - I've got things to do and I'm sure you can Google it.

My only variation is I use 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground pork. And I cut back on the breadcrumbs, to 1 cup

Oh, and I add shredded carrot to help bind it. And a T of curry powder.

[bold]Original Ann Landers Meat Loaf[/bold]

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

1 egg

1 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

3/4 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon Accent seasoning mix

1/2 cup warm water

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

2 slices uncooked bacon

1 can (8 ounce size) tomato sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, Accent, water, and onion soup mix in a bowl. Mix well. Form the mixture into a loaf and place in a loaf pan or meatloaf pan.

Place the strips of bacon over the top of the meatloaf. Drizzle the tomato sauce over the top.

Place the pan in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for one hour.

Remove the pan from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

I prefer the YSL meatloaf: 2 tablespoons lean ground beef, etc.

Yves Saint Laurent, r89?

Ina Garten's meatloaf 1 tablespoon good olive oil

3 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup canned chicken stock or broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (81 percent lean)

1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (recommended: Progresso)

2 extra-large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meat loaf will be dense. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.

Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meat loaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven, under the meat loaf, will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot.

I’m so sick of Ina Garten telling people to use “good olive oil”. I don’t even know where to buy “bad“ olive oil, but she makes me want to. I want to buy bad olive oil, and I want to use it in all of her recipes.

An intelligent choice to be sure, r72.

Green pepper, oatmeal, and ketchup? No, thank you, Monte.

R11 Just came to say what you did!

I loved Monty's Blue Plate but Bluephies was even better. Miss that place. Miss Madison!

[quote] summoning me

like the demonic spirit that you are

I use the McCormick seasoning packet, and top with a mélange of ketchup and barbecue sauce.

......

Yum!

The best meat loaf I've ever had was a the Hi-Lo Diner in Weed, California. Sweet chili sauce seemed to be a major component. They also offered half size dinners so you're not stuck with leftover.

[quote]They also offered half size dinners so you're not stuck with leftover.

I hate leftovers. But meatloaf is one of the rare exceptions.

I just wish we could give it a better name. Neither “meat” nor “ loaf” are appealing words, and in combination…🤢

GORDON RAMSAY’S MEATLOAF RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoon canola oil

½ sweet yellow onion, finely diced

2 baby bell peppers, finely diced

3 button mushrooms, finely diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lb lean ground beef

¾ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

½ cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

1 cup marinara sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.

Heat the oil in a skillet and heat it over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms to the skillet and cook the mixture, while stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the minced garlic and let it cook for about 1 minute while stirring constantly. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the vegetable mixture cool. In a bowl, combine the ground beef with the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar along with the onion mixture.

Season the mixture with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Gently combine the meatloaf mixture until it is evenly mixed, but make sure you don’t overmix it.

Press the mixture into the loaf pan and spread the marinara sauce evenly over the top of the loaf.

Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 F. Remove the pan from the oven and let the meatloaf rest for 5 to 10 minutes before you slice it and serve it.

Bobby Flay Korean Style Meatloaf

Ingredients

Spicy Glaze:

1/4 cup gochujang

1 tablespoon clover honey

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce Meatloaf:

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup prepared kimchee, drained well and chopped

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 large eggs

12 ounces ground chuck (80/20)

12 ounces ground pork (80/20) Fried Shallots:

1 cup canola oil

1/2 cup rice flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 large shallots, thinly sliced Shiitake Mushroom Salad:

2 tablespoons canola oil

5 large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps coarsely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

2 large green onions, dark green and pale green parts, thinly sliced

Juice of 1 lime Fried Eggs:

Unsalted butter, for frying eggs

8 large eggs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Bobby Flay Korean Style Meatloaf

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

For the spicy glaze: Whisk together the gochujang, honey and soy in a small bowl; set aside.

For the meatloaf: Heat the canola oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the ginger, red chile flakes and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the kimchee and toss to combine. Remove to a plate and let cool for 10 minutes.

Whisk together the fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and eggs in a large bowl. Add the kimchee mixture and mix to combine. Add the beef and pork and gently mix to combine.

Put the mixture on the prepared baking sheet and form into a loaf about 12 inches long by 6 inches wide by 2 inches thick. Brush the top with the spicy glaze and bake until golden brown and the internal temperature registers 155 degrees F on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour. Loosely tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

For the fried shallots: Put the canola oil in a small saucepan and heat until it registers 360 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Whisk together the flour and 1/2 cup water and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the shallots in the batter, transfer to the oil with a slotted spoon and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt.

For the shiitake mushroom salad: Heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl, add the cilantro, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions and lime juice and mix to combine.

For the fried eggs: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a medium nonstick saute pan. Crack 2 eggs at a time into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the whites are set and the yellows are partially set. Gently flip over and cook for 30 seconds longer. Repeat with the remaining eggs, adding more butter as needed.

Slice the meatloaf into 1 1/4-inch slices, put on individual plates and top each slice with a fried egg, fried shallots and cilantro leaves. Serve with the shiitake mushroom salad on the side.

Meatloaf is for The Poors.

R77. Is mixing two things really a “mélange”? Really, Queen?

[quote] What kind of texture does oatmeal give it?

R55, I'm guessing it gives it a soft, moist texture, similar to breadcrumbs. The oatmeal absorbs and holds a lot of moisture.

Datalounge goes gaga for meatloaf threads.

Oh, and I don't use "Accent" (MSG) when making the Ann Landers meatloaf, either. And I cook it for an hour and a half.

R86 Yes, it is, faggot. It's a fanciful culinary word that one rarely gets to use, so like it or lump it.

And R83 proves what an uncultured dipshit Bobby Flay can be. There's no such thing as "Korean-style" meatloaf, because meatloaf is not a Korean dish. It's nowhere close to Korean cuisine. He's merely making a Western comfort food classic with a few tangy Korean additions, and calling it fusion cuisine. The swine.

This a great recipe. The shredded carrots and the chunks of sourdough instead of bread crumbs are a nice twist.

I agree that calling the meatloaf Korean-style because it has gochujang is obnoxious but it's probably quite good if you like spicy things. I would skip the fried egg, fried shallots and mushroom salad because it's too much work.

I routinely swap the green pepper for red bell pepper when I make Monty's Blue Plate meatloaf. I always forget one ingredient. This time around, it was nutmeg. I do let the mixture sit in the fridge for a half hour to hydrate the oatmeal so it disappears. I think bread crumbs would be a great substitute. I do a rough chop of the veggies and then pulse them in the food processor. They're finely diced but not mush. I glaze with ketchup and BBQ sauce but the recipe doesn't specify it.

Also, avoid overmixing if you like a hamburger-like texture. If you want the loaf to be more like a pate when cold, mix away. I like both. It's a matter of taste. .

IMO, gochujang is not hot and spicy. It's more sweet. I think you could use it the same way you'd use ketchup (as far as meatloaf goes).

I really don’t like gochujang. I really don’t like most Korean food.

I dated a dude that was half Korean and we argued constantly about kimchi. He thought it was delicious. I think it’s vile. I told him that there’s a reason that they put it in clay pots and buried in the ground. It’s not a recipe. It’s a funeral for cabbage.

And probably the worst dish I have ever heard of my entire life is Army Stew.

Some Korean dishes are very nice, but then they’ll totally fuck them up by adding sliced hotdogs and American cheese.

We don’t date anymore.

[quote]summoning me

[quote]like the demonic spirit that you are

Whenever I need him, I make a pentagram on the kitchen floor out of Maldon salt and a good olive oil, and place a Yankee candle in the center before summoning him.

He’s attracted to the olive oil, but the salt keeps him from being able to escape.

just mention that thing's name and it waddles to the computer and pecks out a reply

r92 You can zap the oatmeal in the food processor(do it first, so it won't be wet from whizzing up other things) to break it down, add it to your mix and then it can be baked immediately.

My meatloaf recipe is quite extensive, some highlights:

-I'm not one for sautéing the veggies ahead of time, I'll grind them finely in the food processor and then go on with the recipe.

-For the tomato aspect of it I like to use Ro-Tel, most of it in the mix but I save some to glaze it.

-Lots of spices and seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, curry powder, sweet and smoked paprika, thyme(this is essential) dried mushroom powder, cayenne, soy sauce.

-A small amount of grated Italian hard cheese(not much, unless you want it to taste like a meatball) I buy a 3-cheese blend(Parmesan, Pecorino and Asiago) from Stella™ that I really like.

I've eaten meatloaf all my life, homemade, take-out, diner, trusted family recipes and back-of-the-box too, I can't recall one that I did not like. Everybody makes it differently, and they're all good in my experience.

I make rolo apo kima when I want something like meatloaf.

I’m not here to judge, but curry powder in meatloaf? Is that… good? Necessary?

I don’t think I even have curry powder. I do make a lot of curry dishes, but I use garam masala, cumin, mustard seeds, coriander, turmeric. And I don’t think I would want any of those in a meatloaf.

But hell, maybe I’ll try it.

And I’m blocking the first person who says they put pumpkin spice in their meatloaf. 😜

Yeah, I love curry (Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai), but I'm scratching my head. Lots of posters are listing curry powder as an ingredient.

It's difficult to screw up meatloaf, just as it's difficult to make a bad lasagna. You really have to try to make an awful one.

[quote]curry powder in meatloaf? ... But hell, maybe I’ll try it.

Yes, I add curry powder. It's not necessary, per se, but I do enjoy the subtle hint it provides. And yes, old fashioned store-bought, spice-aisle curry powder is fine. More elaborate 'curry' dishes call for the spice combinations you speak of, R99.

And if that blew your mind, wait until you try 1 of the 2 secret ingredients of my homemade apple pie. You guessed it: curry powder. (I'm not revealing the other secret ingredient). It gets RAVES every time.

[quote] (I'm not revealing the other secret ingredient). It gets RAVES every time.

AW, C’MON! You don’t have to tell us how much use or what the other ingredients are but you can’t just drop that you have a secret ingredient and not tell us. This is datalounge. WE ARE REALLY GOOD AT KEEPING SECRETS!

R90. I don’t care for your attitude.

I hate it when people brag about their to-die-for recipes that get “raves.” But of course these braggarts will not reveal their “secret ingredient.” How selfish is that? So insecure and competitive … for what?

I love to experiment with recipes and then share, if someone is interested.

R105, I have an AMAZING recipe for bolognese and. It has 17 secret ingredients which I refuse to divulge.

Now guess them!

R65 is right. Bill Blass's meatloaf is perfection.

R107, he made ties too!

OK - since I don't know any of you and, frankly, really don't care - it's just a fucking apple pie, after all. The very simple 'secret' ingredient, besides the curry, is a pear. The ratio is 6 granny smith and 1 bartlet pear.

6 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, thinly sliced

1 large Bartlet pear, same

1 T lemon juice

1 cup sugar

2 T flour

1 t ground cinnamon

1 t curry powder

dash nutmeg

1 T margarine

1 pie crust, top & bottom (whatever your favorite crust recipe) _______________ Pre-heat oven to 375

Core, peel, slice apples & pear, place in large bowl. Add lemon juice. Toss and set aside

Mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, curry and nutmeg

Add sugar mixture to apples, toss.

Prepare pie crust. Pierce pastry bottom several times w a fork. Add apples/pear. Cut up 1T margarine and dot around apples.

Place remaining crust on top, crimping edges and slicing 4 slits on top. Place on baking sheet, cover pie w aluminum foil.

Bake 375 for 30 minutes. remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes, or until crust is golden.

Meatloaf always has some sort of grain used as an extender and binder of the ground meat. I've used oatmeal and bread crumbs a lot, but in the end, (and I haven't seen it listed here), I like rice in my meatloaf the best of all. However, you need to add an extra egg to your recipe when you use rice, because it will fall apart more easily than a breadcrumb meatloaf. Stewed tomatoes are also a nice touch in a meatloaf.

r99 Just a bit of curry powder will do, if I can taste it in the finished product I feel that I've used too much.

Isn't garam masala just curry powder under a different name? I realize both are mixtures and some of the usual "suspects" can find themselves in either one.

r102 I thought your secret ingredient might be either black pepper or cayenne pepper. The thought of a pinch of either one sounds intriguing.

r110 Do you grind the rice first to help it soak up liquids more readily? It might be a better binder that way, since the absorption power would be more evenly distributed. I suppose rice flour could be used as well.

I like stewed tomatoes with meatloaf, although my favorite side, other than the "required" mashed potatoes, would be creamed peas.

[quote]Isn't garam masala just curry powder under a different name?

Similar, but different. I know curry powder already has turmeric which garam masala doesn’t (but I end up adding anyway often). But the ratio of what’s in it is different than how most people cook with them. I have bought curry powder a really long time ago and it has such a distinctive flavor and I know what garam masala smells like. And it’s very different than curry powder to me. I also use asofoteida, but that stuff’s STRONG and I have to keep it in the freezer! Some people say it smells like rotting garlic or sulfur. Curry powder smells more like the Japanese curry cubes than an Indian curry to me (and I do buy those and I love them).

Like I said. Not judging anyone or hating on it, I’ve just never found a use for it.

R109, thank you!! I love pears. They are my favorite. I would probably eat a whole pear pie if offered. That sounds like a great addition.

It would be better to use moghul (not regular) garam masala in apple pie than curry powder.

Thanks, R102. That was good of you to post that recipe with your secret ingredient.

Joan Crawford’s Meatloaf Recipe

900g / 2 lbs minced sirloin

450g / 1 lb pork sausage. minced / sausagemeat

450g / 1 lb minced veal

3 unbeaten eggs

1 large Bermuda onion, finely chopped

2 raw green bell peppers, finely chopped

3 tablespoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt (divided use)

3 tablespoons Lea & Perrin’s Worcestershire Sauce (divided use)

3 teaspoons A-1 Steak Sauce (divided use)

4 hard boiled eggs

Combine meats, unbeaten eggs, onion, peppers, 1 tablespoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, 1 tablespoon Lea & Perrin’s Worcestershire Sauce and 1 teaspoon A-1 Steak Sauce. Mix thoroughly.

Shape mixture into oval loaf form in large shallow baking pan. Gently press hard boiled eggs into loaf.

Sprinkle remaining Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, Worcestershire and Steak Sauce on top of loaf, as a crust.

Pour 1 cup water into the base of the roasting pan.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C / Gas 4 for 30 min.

Turn oven down to 300 degrees F / 150 degrees C / Gas 2 and bake for another 30 min. Turn oven down to 250 degrees F / 130 degrees C / Gas 1/2 and bake for 45 min to one hour basting frequently with pan juice. (10 portions).

Liberace's Meatloaf recipe

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork,

3/4 cups bread crumbs

2/3 cup chicken broth

2/3 cup onion,chopped fine

1/3 cup carrot,grated

2/3 cup green bell pepper, chopped fine

4 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup parsley,chopped fine

1 egg

1 teaspoon season salt

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper, to taste

Topping:

1 can(7 ounce) tomato sauce

7 ounces water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Spray 9x13 casserole dish with pam

Mix all ingredients except tomato sauce, thoroughly, shape into a loaf.

Mix tomato sauce with 1 can water, spread evenly over top.

Bake 1 hour, 350 degrees F oven.

Let rest 10 minutes covered in foil tent

[quote]Isn't garam masala just curry powder under a different name?

Totally different. I wouldn't call them similar at all.

And when using you always finish a dish with it, it generally isn't added while/before simmering for hours.

Meatloaf with Moroccan Spices

Total time: About 2 hours 30 minutes

2 Tbsp. olive oil, more as needed

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

12 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 medium stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 large carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)

3 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and minced (about 1/3 cup)

2 Tbsp. ground cumin

2 Tbsp. smoked paprika

1 Tbsp. ground coriander

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

7 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

2 lb. ground lamb

Side sauce (optional):

1/2 cup pine nuts toasted in a 350-degree oven until fragrant and golden brown (about 5 to 7 minutes)

1 cup plain full-fat Greek-style yogurt

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute or two. Add the celery, carrots and ginger, and cook for about 5 minutes, adding more olive oil as needed to make sure ingredients are well coated and softening.

2. Add the spices: cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, cinnamon and salt, stirring well to mix. (You can alter spices to your liking, with more or less of those recommended or adding curry powder, nutmeg, allspice, black or cayenne pepper.) Add the tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring well and scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to ensure the spices don’t burn. Once mixture is cooked, remove pan from heat and let cool for about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine in a large bowl the fresh herbs (cilantro, mint and parsley) and the eggs and breadcrumbs. Add the ground lamb and the cooled mixture. Mix well with clean hands, until all ingredients are blended.

Wolfgang Puck's Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours, 8 minutes

Resting time: 15 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 package (8 ounces) mushrooms, finely chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 teaspoons each: minced fresh oregano and thyme leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 pound each: lean ground beef, pork and veal

1 egg, lightly beaten

6 strips bacon

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the onions. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Heat the mixture to a boil; reduce the heat to simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees; heat a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, mix the beef, pork, veal and cooled vegetables in a large bowl; stir in the egg.

3. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with overhanging strips of bacon; pat the meat mixture into the pan, leveling its surface. Fold the ends of the bacon strips up and over the ground meat mixture to enclose it. Place the loaf pan in a large roasting pan; place the roasting pan in the oven. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. Cover both pans with foil; cook 1 hour.

4. Carefully remove the foil; cook meatloaf until instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165 degrees, about 50 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Carefully pour the juices from the pan; discard. Slice meatloaf.

Michael Symon's Meatloaf

Ingredients

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 red onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 lbs coarse ground beef (preferably with 20 percent fat)

1 1/2 lbs hot Italian pork sausage, removed from casing

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Coarse salt and ground black pepper to taste

Blended olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat and sweat onions and garlic until translucent. Let onions cool.

Place remaining ingredients and onion mixture in large bowl and mix with your hands.

Oil a 9-by-5-inch meat-loaf pan with blended olive oil and place mixture in pan, pressing down and packing medium tight (or mold into a meat-loaf shape and place in shallow roasting pan).

Bake for 40 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees. Remove from pan.

I don’t have time to look for it now, but I was always really big into meatloaf recipes. A few years ago, I discovered the pioneer woman’s recipe. (Yeah, I know). It’s incredible, really. Just a great all American meal. The glaze is awesome also. Give it a try.

Who's posting all of these recipes? Have you actually tried making all of these recipes?

I can only recommend the Blue Plate/ Market Street meatloaf. That's the one I make. I posted many of the others either because someone mentioned them or for your amusement and entertainment.

Sandra Lee’s Meatloaf Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 store-bought meatloaf

1 handle of Tito’s vodka (sometimes I’ll get 2)

1-2 limes

Ice

Preheat the oven to whatever you feel like. Take the meatloaf out of the plastic container it came in and place in a shallow baking dish.

Place the meatloaf into the oven before it’s preheated and let it “bake” for 15 to 75 minutes. I have no idea! Really. Just use your best judgment.

Fill a large picture halfway with ice and then gradually pour in the vodka.

Serve the vodka over ice in a tumbler or a 32 ounce plastic cup you got at a Stop-N-Go. Garnish with one or two slices of lime.

Forget about the meatloaf. You probably burned it by this point. We’re having vodka for dinner.

R109 You think it's special to add a pear to apple pie? The best "apple" pie I ever ate was actually made completely from pears! The baker got quite a chuckle out of presenting his apple pie and then sharing the recipe. I never knew pears made such a delicious pie!

Garam masala and curry powder vastly different? No, not really. They both essentially have the same ingredients. Yes, in different proportions but unless you grew up in Kolkata, I defy you to taste two of the same dishes using either spice and to tell the difference. Once cooked, the flavors all meld. Some recipes use all the ingredients in curry powder and then add garam masala. I like Indian but find it hard to distinguish a great deal of difference in the seasonings. But I digress.

Back to meatloaf. I really like the 72 Market St meatloaf. I first made it from the recipe in The New Basics cookbook. I highly recommend it. I also liked my mother's meatloaf. I think she learned from my father who had been in the US much longer. It had chopped green pepper and onion in it, topped with tomato sauce, and bacon strips. Sometimes there's nothing better than just a plain meatloaf like my ex-wife from MN made. I was great for sandwiches with ketchup. And there there's polpettone. My mother never made it but it's quite good. My recipe is from a church cookbook from my hometown and I'm not typing it out. I'm linking to one so you get the idea. Hard-boiled eggs, spinach, provolone inside. The recipe I used had made tomato sauce from the baking meatloaf and had a touch of cinnamon. You made enough sauce to have pasta served with the sauce as the primo and the polpettone as the secondo.

Courtney Cox meatloaf

Ingredients

For the caramelized onions

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil 1 medium or large white or yellow onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 large carrot, grated

For the panade mixture

5 ounces Ritz crackers or Golden Rounds crackers

5 ounces milk or buttermilk

For the glaze

¾ cup ketchup

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

For the meatloaf

2 pounds grass-fed ground chuck beef, 85 or 90 percent lean

3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Directions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step 2: Caramelize the onions. Add the oil to a cast iron or heavy bottom pan. Once it’s shimmering, add the onions, salt and thyme. Cook over medium-high heat until caramelized, about 30 minutes.

Step 3: Make the panade mixture. While the onions are cooking, add the Ritz crackers to the food processor and pulse until completely ground with no large pieces remaining. Measure 5 ounces of cracker crumbs and add to a bowl. Mix the milk with the cracker crumbs.

Step 4: Once the onions have caramelized, mix in the Worcestershire sauce and carrot. Add the onion mixture to the panade mixture.

Step 5: Make the glaze. In a separate bowl, add all the glaze ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

Step 6: Make the meatloaf. Add the ground beef, parsley, eggs and salt to the panade mixture, then add a few tablespoons of the glaze. Combine by hand.

Step 7: On a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper, mold the meatloaf mixture into a log shape. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Step 8: Remove the meatloaf and brush the top with remaining glaze. Return the meatloaf to the oven and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Step 9: Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Andrew Zimmern's spinach and bacon meatloaf

Ingredients 1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground veal

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon butter

1 large onion minced

3 ribs minced celery

8 ounces frozen spinach, blanched and drained very well

2 pinches nutmeg

1 cup chopped tomato

2 cups bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs beaten

1 tablespoon salt

4 tablespoons tomato paste

2 slices bacon

Instructions Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Place the butter in a large sauté pan over high heat.

Add the onion, spinach, celery, nutmeg and tomato. Cook until soft and glassy and all liquids are evaporated.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the sautéed veggies with the milk, bread crumbs, eggs and ground meats.

Mix well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place one whole slice of bacon in a large rectangular loaf pan (a 5-by-10 inch loaf pan works well).

Add the meats all in one motion, making sure to create a rounded, smooth top.

Spread tomato paste over the top. Place second piece of bacon over the paste.

Put the loaf pan into a 300-degree oven for 2 hours.

Remove the meatloaf and let cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Curry powder and garam masala are different - including their color and smell.

Curry powder tends to be lighter colored because of turmeric (which generally isn't in garum masala), plus the smell/flavor of cumin tends to predominate.

Also curry powder usually includes ground cayenne, which makes it the hotter of the two spice blends.

Garam masala tends to be sweeter smelling and tasting because it includes cinnamon, which usually isn't in curry powder.

And I think it also includes ground cardamom, which also usually isn't in curry powder.

This is a recipe I saw many years ago in one of those trashy magazines (like The Star and National Enquierer) that my mother used to read:

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup marinara

1/2 cup minced sweet onion

1 garlic clove put through a garlic press

1/2 tsp each dried basil and oregano (crumbled fine)

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup processed unsalted cracker crumbs

4 oz shredded mozzarella

1 1/2 lb ground beef

Combine the first 9 ingredients, then mix in the cheese and then the meat

Shape the meat loaf by putting it in a 9X5 loaf pan and then inverting it onto a baking pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 75 minutes

Let it stand 10 minutes before cutting

Top with a little marinara sauce

Man. This thread really got me wanting meatloaf, but I don’t have the ingredients, the energy to go to the grocery store, or the will to make it. That’s fine, I thought. I live in an urban center and there are hundreds of restaurants that I can order through including some that I know will have a really, really good meatloaf.

So I opened up the Uber Eats and I typed into the search bar… “Uber eats”. I got 80 results, mostly sushi restaurants. Nothing that looked like it would serve meatloaf. So I said “well let’s try it this way. Type in to the search bar ‘Ubereats’. No space”. And again the same list of about 80 sushi restaurants.

So I’m getting frustrated and thinking “fucking Uber fucking eats stupid, broken app! Screw you! I have DoorDash too”.

Opened the DoorDash app aaaaaaand…typed “Door Dash” into the search bar. NO sushi restaurant suggestions, but I got three hits. Safeway, 7-Eleven, and Walgreens.

After about five minutes, and on the verge of tears, I finally figured it out.

I just finished my delicious meatloaf with mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts.

It was a really long, long hard day ☹️

Mamaw.

What is it with east coast people and self-styled gourmands who MUST add nutmeg or even star anise to every. fucking. thing..? It's disgusting. Who wants their meatloaf to taste like the Christmas fruit cake aunt Darlene sent last year? I noticed it while living in Connecticut for a while, then New York and eventually Maine. Nutmeg. EVERYWHERE. WHY?!? And no, it does no enhance any flavor of anything. I can see it used for pies and other sweetly spiced pastries or perhaps certain roasted game meats, but even then, it's just unpleasant. Please, stop doing this, you're not Mary Fucking Berry. And for fuck's sake, keep it out of a good American meatloaf!

DL fave Simply Sara has a version as well…

She even has a Philly version!

R133

You may be surprised, or disgusted, that nutmeg really is a great addition to greens such as spinach, mashed potatoes, and most commonly in bechamel sauce.

Just a touch. Not the quantities people may use in sweet recipes.

But then, I'm from the East Coast (but not a self-styled gourmand.)

David Burke's Millionaire's Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS Yield: 4 servings

FOR THE MEATLOAF

1½tablespoons olive oil

2medium onions, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 large eggs

½ cup milk

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon well-drained horseradish

¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

2 to 3 cups croutons, bought or homemade (see note)

FOR THE CHILI SHRIMP

1½teaspoons mild or hot chili powder

1½teaspoons cayenne pepper

1½t easpoons paprika

1½ tablespoons Wondra flour

4 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon chili oil

Step 1 For the meatloaf: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add the olive oil, onions and garlic. Sauté until translucent and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Step 2 In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, eggs and milk. Mix well by hand, and add bread crumbs, mustard, barbecue sauce, horseradish, and cooked onions and garlic. Mix again, and add the parsley, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix well until thoroughly combined.

Step 3 Spread the croutons across a shallow 8-inch-square baking dish. Top with the meatloaf mix, patting the surface so it is level. Bake until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and the top is nicely browned, about 1 hour. Toward the end of baking, prepare the chili shrimp.

Step 4 For the chili shrimp: In a small mixing bowl, combine the chili powder, cayenne pepper, paprika and flour. Dredge the shrimp in the mixture until well coated. Place a small skillet over medium heat, and add the chili oil. When it is hot, add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes a side.

Step 5 To finish, cut the meatloaf into 4 slices. Place a slice on each of 4 plates, and top with a chili shrimp. If desired, serve with mashed potatoes.

TIP To make croutons, toss cubes of white bread with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Mashed potatoes, for serving

[quote]The best "apple" pie I ever ate was actually made completely from pears!

Guess what? That wasn't an apple pie.

R131 = meathead

R136, Gross, and SHAME on you!! ....but please come cook for me. Please? ;- )

R140

Gladly. You like Italian? Not much nutmeg in Italian food. A very small bit, maybe, but I can leave it out.

I just made a meatloaf. The flavors are marrying in the refrigerator until it’s ready to be baked.

Question: I am new to making meatloaf (cooking in general). Should I let out the meatloaf come to room temperature before cooking? I know the Chefs say to take out cold meat before cooking it.

I do wish Greg was back. He definitely knows his stuff.

The only reason I've ever heard to let a meatloaf sit before putting it in the oven is to let oatmeal hydrate, if you happen to have used oatmeal. I just put it in the oven when I've put it in its baking dish.

If you've used raw eggs, I would put it straight in the oven. Do you have a meat thermometer. The recommended temperature range is 165. but you can pull it out at 155 or 160 because it will continue to cook as it sits.

The fact that Greg hasn't posted his meatloaf recipe in this thread makes me feel incredibly cheated. How long does it take to bake a goddamn blueberry pie?

Hello, R142.

You should allow your meatloaf to come to room temperature before baking.

I hope it comes out great!

Sorry, R145. I still have houseguests (including young children), so I’m occupied with them.

I promise I won’t forget to share my recipe.

R146 oh good! I thought you were upset with me. I wrote that frau post calling you out. Then I realized you are 100% being trolled, as I was. My husband was pissed I erroneously believed you were behaving in a crazy manner. I realized he was putting your name to his posts, etc.

Belgian meatloaf.

R147 My meatloaf is made and all done!! Husby is happy. I made mashed potatoes and homemade gravy with Asparagus. Thank you, DL and Greg, my new cooking adventure is turning into a fun hobby. Cooking isn’t so scary, retard alert (I know).

I pray it’s cook thru and taste good.

A recipe for an easy five-ingredient meatloaf I cribbed from a DataLounge Meatloaf Recipe thread c. 2011:

INGREDIENTS: 1.5 lbs ground meat (a 50/50 pork/beef combo is nice); one packet of Lipton (or generic) onion soup mix; 5 oz can of evaporated milk; For the glaze: 1/2 cup ketchup and 1/2 cup brown sugar.

METHOD: Combine the meat, milk and soup mix. Put the mixture in a loaf pan (or shape it free form—nobody cares). Mix the ketchup and brown sugar and spread it on top. Bake for about an hour in a 350° oven. Serve with boiled potatoes, buttered peas and a glass of milk.

Thanks people! I was not hungry before reading this thread, but sure am now!

R151 love it. It’s much easier than mine. Wow!!

Everything from Madison is usually the best.

Thank you! Madison men are simply the best! There is no meat loafing around here :)

I think you need the ketchup on the top- I want to hate the ketchup as a trashy addition, but the tomato paste, with the vinegar and brown sugar in the ketchup is the part that is key. You can be all fancy and whip that up yourself but that is what has to go on top of a good meatloaf.

I don't think green pepper belongs in a meatloaf. No way.

[quote]Garam masala and curry powder vastly different? No, not really. They both essentially have the same ingredients. Yes, in different proportions but unless you grew up in Kolkata, I defy you to taste two of the same dishes using either spice and to tell the difference.

You're kidding, right?

Trillium Cafe in Mt. Hood, Oregon. It's the house specialty.

I added Italian sausage to my hamburger and put marinara in the meat and on top.

My husband loved the meatloaf. Success!

What should I try to cook next? Any ideas?

Half of these recipes are too fucking fancy. It's MEATLOAF for god's sake! A delicious simple meal, hot or cold. Once you're beyond 5 ingredients, you're making something other than meatloaf.

R160 Itallian sausage or chorizo added to ground beef spices up anything. Great addition.

R162 omg, wonderful idea. Chorizo would have been so yummy. I did add Italian sausage it was yummy.

Greg any Chicken recipes? Not too complicated but yummy? Chicken parmigiana? Or something comparable??

R133 - Connecticut's unofficial nickname is the Nutmeg State.

[quote]Once you're beyond 5 ingredients, you're making something other than meatloaf.

Mine has 12. See [R21]. It's definitely meatloaf.

I thought it was the nutloaf state.

Has anyone ever tried to make a ham loaf? I love it but I can’t get the brown sugar glaze right…

[quote] Has anyone ever tried to make a ham loaf? I love it but I can’t get the brown sugar glaze right…

No because that just sounds like spam?

But have you considered looking at an old cookbook for baked ham recipe that uses Dr Pepper or root beer as a glaze? They loved putting Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Coca-Cola, in everything in the 70s. On hams, in cakes, in “salads”.

I collect Junior League and Lions Club cookbooks. The kind where all the wives submit their worst recipes and then they get it comb bound. There’s almost nothing worth making in the majority of them, but they do crack me up. And I have a surprisingly large collection. 🫣

But they loved to put Coca-Cola and shit like that in everything!!

I have to admit, I have fucking loved this thread. It seems to be slowing down a little, so I am wondering if we could start a new one for a different dish full of recipes with weird ass additions.

Lasagna? Chicken and dumplings? Any type of casserole that you want to post about?

Found this…

r167 Vinegar is the key factor in a ham loaf glaze. Don't omit or cut down on the vinegar called for, you need the acid to deal with the sweetness of brown sugar and ketchup. Also, ham loaf can be fattier that a beef meatloaf, the acid will help with that as well by cutting through the richness. You might try upping the vinegar to see if that gives you the glaze you're seeking.

Wagyu Meat Loaf

Ingredients

2 lbs of GLC Wagyu Hamburger

2 eggs, beaten

¾ cup milk

2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs

¼ cup finely chopped onion

2 tbs snipped fresh parsley or dried 1 tsp salt

½ tsp dried sage or basil

1/8 tsp black pepper

½ cup ketchup

2 tbs packed brown sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

Instructions

In a medium bowl combine eggs and milk, whisk

Stir in bread crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, sage, and pepper, mix well

Add GLC burger, mix well

Lightly pat mixture into an 8X4X2 inch loaf pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until internal temperature is 160 degrees F

Spoon off fat

In a small bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard, mix well

Spread over meat after spooning off fat

Bake an additional 10 minutes

Let stand for 10 minutes

I remember making a sauce a long time ago for a ham that involved a liaison with egg yolks and cream, whole grain mustard, and brown sugar. I don't remember if I also used vinegar, but I think it could help. Thanks, Bronzie.

Meat Loaf Muffins good if frosted with mashed potatoes

Ingredients

■ Cooking spray, or shortening, or melted butter, for greasing pan

■ 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion, from 1 small onion

■ 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced

■ 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck

■ 1 cup ketchup, divided

■ 1/2 cup soft fine breadcrumbs

■ 1 large egg, beaten

■ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

■ 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

■ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pe

Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease with shortening or melted butter.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and sauté until lightly browned and tender, about 3 minutes.

Add the finely minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.

In a bowl, combine the ground beef with 1/2 cup of ketchup, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, oregano, and thyme.

Add the sautéed vegetables and mix until blended, being careful not to overmix.

Pack the meat mixture into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake the meatloaf muffins for 20 minutes.

Top each meatloaf muffin with about a tablespoon of the remaining ketchup. Return to the oven and bake for about 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Cook until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 160 F when inserted into the center of a muffin.

for R168

Don Jr's 5-Ingredient Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef

onion soup mix

ketchup

1 egg

8 grams of cocaine

Donald Trump’s mother’s meatloaf

2 lbs. fresh ground beef

1 Spanish onion, diced finely

1 red bell pepper, diced finely

1 green bell pepper, diced finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large beefsteak tomato, seeds removed, diced finely

2 extra large eggs

2/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2/3 cup tomato puree

1/2 tbsp salt and pepper

In large saucepan, cook peppers, onion, garlic and tomato until onions turn translucent. Let cool. Add ground beef, cooked cool vegetables, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and pepper to large mixing bowl and mix well. Remove mixture from bowl and place in ceramic baking dish, forming mixture into a loaf.

Top loaf with tomato puree. Bake at 350 degrees until brown, for approximately 45-55 minutes. Allow meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes before slicing, then serve with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes.

Pat Nixon's Meatloaf

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup finely chopped onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 slices white bead

1 cup milk

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

2 tablespoons tomato puree

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Instructions

Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Melt butter in a sauté pan, add garlic and sauté until just golden - do not brown. Let cool.

Dice bread and soak it in milk.

In a large mixing bowl, mix ground beef by hand with sauté ed onions and garlic and bread pieces. Add eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme and marjoram and mix by hand in a circular motion.

Turn this mixture into the prepared baking pan and pat into a loaf shape, leaving at least one inch of space around the edges to allow fat to run off. Brush the top with the tomato puree and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to penetrate and to firm up the loaf.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake meatloaf on lower shelf of oven for 1 hour, or until meat is cooked through. Pour off accumulated fat several times while baking and after meat is fully cooked.

Let stand on wire rack for five minutes before slicing. Makes 6 servings.

Source: The White House Family Cookbook by Henry Haller, 1987

The Cheesecake Factory: Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper

2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper

½ cup minced red onion

1⁄3 cup shredded and minced carrot

5 teaspoons minced garlic

3 eggs, beaten

1½ pounds ground sirloin

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1½ teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon rubbed (ground) sage

½ teaspoon paprika

¾ cup whole milk

¾ cup bread crumbs

Grilled Onions:

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tablespoons butter

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

MUSHROOM GRAVY

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

one 14-ounce can beef broth (1¾ cups)

1½ cups sliced mushrooms

1 teaspoon minced Italian parsley

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon rubbed (ground) sage

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium sauté pan over medium/low heat. Sweat (slowly sauté) the minced green and red bell pepper in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the minced onion, carrot, and garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes. You just want the veggies to soften, not to get browned.

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the ground beef, pork, sautéed vegetables, and remaining ingredients except bread crumbs. Mix well with your hands until everything is combined, then work in the bread crumbs a little bit at a time. Press meatloaf into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove meatloaf from the oven and cool for 30 minutes. If you cut the meatloaf now a lot the juices will run out, so give it a rest before diving in.

4. As meatloaf rests, make grilled onions by melting butter in a medium sauté pan over medium/low heat. Add onions, salt, and pepper and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until onions are light brown.

5. Make gravy by melting butter over medium/low heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until mixture begins to turn light brown. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until sauce is thick.

6. To prepare meatloaf for serving, preheat broiler to high. Remove meatloaf from the loaf pan and slice it into nine 1-inch thick slices. Arrange slices to be served on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot. Place slices of meatloaf on serving plate, spoon gravy over the meatloaf, and then top with grilled onions.

Dick Clark's Meatloaf

R2 woke up and chose Pretentiousness on that day.

Julia Child Meatloaf

R180 That recipe sounds delicious.

John Wayne Meatloaf

Susan Collins' Meatloaf

Serves 6

2 teaspoons olive oil

3/4 cup minced onion

2 large eggs

2 pounds ground chuck

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2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1/4 cup minced green bell peppers

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

2 tablespoons dry mustard

1/4 cup whole milk

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 slice bacon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet or a large baking pan with parchment paper. (This loaf can also be made in a lightly oiled loaf pan, to keep it strictly Pat Collins correct.)

2. Warm the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat, add the onions and saute until they are soft and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly with a fork. Mix in the beef and then the breadcrumbs (slightly cooled), onions and bell peppers. Add the horseradish, dry mustard, milk and 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce.

4. Place the bacon slice lengthwise on top, and then spread the remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce over the loaf.

5. Bake for roughly 50 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches about 150 degrees F. Let the loaf rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Every serving of red meat you eat per week increases your risk of colon cancer 20%.

One slice of meatloaf is probably two servings.

Enjoy!

I propose the next gourmand thread be devoted to chili. Who wants to start it?

4 octave range

Saccharine lyrics

Piano chords

Singalong melody

I won’t do that r188. No, I won’t… do… that…

r173 If you're looking for an alternative to the ham loaf glaze consider Raisin Sauce, which is traditional with baked ham. Some recipes include vinegar or lemon juice, those sound like they're on the right track.

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Even if anyone's meatloaf didn't turn out quite right, its saving grace is the thought of a terrific meatloaf sandwich the next day. Whether a thick slab, cold, tucked into a hotdog roll, or sliced and sautéed briefly to make a great sandwich on some toasted seeded rye bread. I was lazy the other day and picked up an already-cooked meatloaf from Trader Joe's™. Not the best in the world, but it's fine for sandwiches. Now where's my chips?

The posting on r180 really sounds delish. I plan on making it today.

Dinah Shore's meatloaf recipe

Chrissy Teigen Spicy Italian Meatloaf recipe

Fox News Steve Doocy can go fuck himself Meatloaf Recipe

Jenny Jones Meatloaf Recipe

Festivus Meatloaf Recipe

FOR THE GLAZE:

1⁄2 cup tomato paste

1⁄4 cup brown sugar

1⁄4 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

FOR THE MEATLOAF:

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1⁄4 cup grated onion

1 egg

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1⁄4 cup tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

TO MAKE THE GLAZE:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE MEATLOAF:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well-mixed. Place in the loaf pan and top evenly with the glaze.

4. Bake for 75 to 80 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155°F.

5. Remove the meatloaf from the oven. Allow to cool slightly, then slice and serve.

We need a thread with easy fun and a variety of recipes. Even though it was fun making meatloaf I need other ideas. Tried and tested recipes.

Now I want Meatloaf for dinner, I'm starving!

We're having "Beach Chickens and Ducks" tonight( cause we're eating on the Beach "under a large tent") with Black& Blue and Peach pies. With Jello for the little kids(with cool whip). Red, Lemon-Lime and Blueberry Jello. Plus Lemon drops for drinks.

Cool Hwip

Ok, I created a new thread. Help me find some great recipes DL’ers. I need you.

^^^ oops here is the thread. Let’s fill it up and get our asses off the couch and cooking. ♥️

Meatloaf hash--a delicious ending for leftover meatloaf. Top with poached or fried eggs.

R202, the meatloaf hash recipe says “This is good as a light supper.”

🤭

A salad or a thin soup is good as a light supper. I want to know what that recipe’s author thinks would be a heavy meal if meatloaf, potatoes, bacon, and olive oil is “light”.

Actually, I no longer care that they called it a light meal. I scrolled down and this was the link to the site’s creators bio.

I’m totally bookmarking that link

The trickiest thing about meatloaf hash is getting the meatloaf chunks, onions and potatoes sufficiently crusty. Bacon and a little olive oil get the job done. Keep ketchup far away except as a condiment and even then....

r202 I am a big hash lover, any kind will do: turkey, andouille(a menu offering at a fave local place for breakfast) corned beef. Thanks for posting that recipe, I will be making it soon.

Hormel Corned Beef Hash is a guilty pleasure of mine. It’s so packed with sodium and preservatives but I love it.

This is pretty much my turkey meatloaf recipe except I add shredded carrots, minced red bell pepper, sriracha and hoisin to the mixture as well as glazing with hoisin. The leftovers also work as has but add cubes of squash or sweet potatoes to the white potato.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Adjust the breadcrumbs downward and substitute sauteed vegetables.

Doesn’t the turkey get dry?

[quote]Doesn’t the turkey get dry?

I used to use 7% fat, and that worked alright. Ground dark meat chicken is good, too, maybe even better.

R210. Grate a Granny Smith apple into your Turkey….use major greys chutney as a glaze. You’ll go crazy!!

R210, the addition of minced carrots, onions, red bell peppers and ketchup, egg, hoisin, sriracha keeps it from getting dry.

I have a cookbook from 1999 Comfort Foods from Mother's Voices. It is a cookbook with recipes from mothers who have children who have died or are dying from AIDS and the comfort foods they made for their children. It is sad sometimes to read the stories that accompany the recipes but they are wonderful. I would link to it, but it seems the organization is gone (it was in NYC, the cookbook was a fundraiser) Here is the meatloaf recipe.

Mom's Meat Loaf 2 eggs 3/4 c milk 1/2 c dry bread crumbs 1/4 c chopped onion 2 T Parsley 1 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Pepper 1/2 tsp Sage 1 1/2 lbs ground beef 1/4 c ketchup 2 T brown sugar 1 tsp dry mustard

Combine eggs and milk. Stir in bread crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, sage and pepper. Add beef and mix. Shape into a loaf. Place in a pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Mix ketchup, brown sugar and dry mustard and spread over meat. Return to oven for 10 more minutes.

LGBTQ+ ally Miranda, Lambert weighs in.

[bold]The "Loaf" (Bev's Famous Meatloaf Recipe)[/bold]

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork sausage tap here

18 saltine crackers, crushed

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon mustard

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a 11x7-inch baking dish.

Add the ground beef, sausage, crackers, bell pepper, onion, eggs, Worcestershire, mustard, and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar to a medium bowl. Mix with your hands until blended. Shape the mixture into a 10x5-inch loaf and place in the baking dish.

Bake for one hour. Remove from the oven; drain the juices into a separate bowl and reserve for the gravy. In a bowl, stir together the ketchup and the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar for the glaze. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of the glaze for the gravy. Spread the rest over the meatloaf. Bake for 15 minutes more, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 160°F. Pour the drained meat juices into a saucepan and heat until hot. Add the flour and stir until thickened. Mix 1 1/2 cups of hot water into the reserved glaze and add it to the saucepan. Cook until it starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and generously season with salt and pepper.

Remove the loaf from the oven and let stand for 20 minutes. Then serve directly from the casserole dish, alongside your favorite mashed potatoes topped with the gravy.

I thawed a hunk of "meatloaf of the gods" aka The Silver Palate Meatloaf, heated it with BBQ sauce and added mashed potatoes with a tad of smoked gouda and brie. This meatloaf is divine.

Fucking hell! Every time I open this thread, I want meatloaf!

My recipe, for what very, very little it's worth.

1 lb ground beef 90% lean

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs. I think. Maybe more. I don't know.

1 8 oz can tomato paste

1 small onion, minced

3 sticks celery, minced

1 large egg. Or two small egss.

Worcester sauce. No idea how much.

A few dashes Tabasco sauce. (?)

One small bunch parsley, minced

Two tablespoons of capers.

One anchovy, minced. This actually works.

Two tablespoons brown sugar

Dash of Old Bay

Splash of red wine.

Mix ingredients.

Bake at 350 until, I don't know, fucking done.

Did I mention I suck at creating recipes?

It has been decreed that the four brisket/chuck/shortrib burgers I bought must be used for meatloaf because the burger instructions call for them to be cooked to 160 degrees--well done. I can make the delicious meatloaf of the gods or try something new from this thread. Whatever I choose will be served with farmers market roast tomatoes topped with parm, seasoning and bread crumbs. Take advantage of your local farmers market while you can.

Stuck with what I know, meatloaf of the gods, The veggies--carrots, onion, garlic, celery, red bell pepper.--are sauteed. The beef is thawed. The person who requested meatloaf has been dispatched to buy ground pork and half and half. Time for a break and a beer. Using a food processor makes this much easier. I always sneak in Worcestershire for umami

The two loaves are glazed to perfection, crunchy around the corners and tender inside because of all the veggies and the glaze dribbling through cracks on top. Always swear my head off when I make them and am always glad I did. This will last for four meals over 2-3 months. Try it, you'll like it and feel free to tinker with the recipe. It's very forgiving.

I'll have to come back here when I'm more awake. It's so hot and I just had a pino grigio and ready for sleep. I've made umpteenmillion meatloafs with all the usual recipes and none yet I thought was really good.

Haven't read through all but I have done the one with the packet, McCormick's or Lipton's, both. Not did it for me. Did the Worcestershire, did the catsup, did no Worcestershire, and did the no catsup...so many failures.

I wouldn't call what the bigot R77 mixed together a melange either.

I make meatloaf differently every time. That’s part of the fun of it. Last one I made a McDonald’s Cheeseburger meatloaf because all I had were dehydrated onions. Let them plump in the eggs, milk, ketup, mustard, diced pickles. Then add meat, bread crumbs, cheese.

[quote] I always sneak in Worcestershire for umami

Why do you have to sneak in Worcestershire sauce? Can't you do it out in the open?

Can you make meatloaf with ground turkey?

[quote]Can you make meatloaf with ground turkey?

Sure. Here's a recipe I use:

2 teaspoons cooking oil (I usually use olive oil)

2 leeks, white parts only, minced (1/2 cup)

2 pounds ground dark-meat turkey

2 large eggs

1/2 cup fresh plain breadcrumbs

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sauce from canned chipotles in adobo, or more as needed

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder, or more as needed

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more as needed

Cook the leeks in the oil, and when they've softened and then cooled, mix with the remaining ingredients. Test-fry a little of the mixture, and adjust ancho and salt as needed.

Thanks, r227!!

I had bison meatloaf for lunch

Oatmeal in a meatloaf disgusts me.

Meatloaf around the world….

r230 On what level? Visual? Taste? Texture? If it's the first and third you can buzz some in a food processor to get a fine powder, thickening power is not diminished and the flakes won't be evident. If it's the taste, spicing up your mixture and adding vegetables will solve that problem.

If it's just the idea of oatmeal, there's not much I can do to change your mind. I'm assuming you have actually had some meatloaf that did contain oats. 🥩🥖

The oatmeal disappears so it must be the thought of it that's disturbing. And that's fine.

It may depend on the type of oatmeal you use. I tried it once with Old Fashioned oatmeal, and I could sense the individual oats on my tongue as I ate the meatloaf. Not a good texture. Someone upthread (I think) suggested hydrating the oats before adding them to the meat mixture, which I did not think to do, and maybe that would remove the oat texture. I had no problem with the flavor of oatmeal in meatloaf.

All of that said, I prefer using a panade made of milk-soaked bread, as described upthread in Leslie Bruni's meatloaf. I have never eaten a better one, both in terms of flavor and texture.

crushed Cheerios

r235 That sounds interesting. I wonder if cornflakes would work well?

Years ago a friend made a meatloaf and one of the ingredients was very tiny pearl onions, which he pre-cooked. When the finished meatloaf was cut each portion had a pattern of round onion slices, mimicking leaded glass, or, something from another galaxy. Very tasty(I'm a big onion lover) and visually unusual(silvery-white against reddish-brown)

R236, a friend of mine mentions his mother's meatloaf every time the topic comes up, the panade for which she made with corn flakes and chicken broth. He says it's the best he's ever eaten, but so far, he's never made it for me.

Is GREG contributing to this thread?

Yeah we need a 'Greg meatloaf recipe'. C'mon Greg :)

I don't know about this guys recipe but tonight I'm making his stuffed shells. However here is a recipe from him with a video of his recipe for meatloaf.

I like Kaleb Wyse's recipes and this is a good one. It's similar to Meatloaf of the Gods/Silver Palette Meatloaf in that it combines ground beef and pork, eggs and two cups of ground, lightly sauteed vegetables. He uses mushrooms instead of bell peppers and crumbs instead of pulverized old fashioned oats. His flavorings are thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, dijon mustard, a heavy dose of worcestershire and broth instead of cream or ketchup. His glaze is mustard and ketchup. Should be delicious.

I do not like traditional meatloaf. I don't want the meat/texture to be tightly, solidly packed. I prefer a loaf that crumbles easily.

2-2.5 lbs ground beef. Chuck roast is great... good flavor. Find a nice looking chuck roast with some good fat in it. Hand it to the butcher to grind. He will do this, you just need to ask him.

R241 Now THAT'S a good tip! Thanks!

Toniight we thawed some meatloaf and reheated it in BBQ sauce. We served it with farmers market corn and a panzanella salad with farmers market tomatoes and basil mixed in with red onion, olives, cucumbers, radishes, greens and croutons made from farmers market Semolina bread. It was a nice, seasonal change from the usual mashed potatoes and green beans.

Why do I mention farmers market produce and goods? Because almost everyone is near one and buying a few things there is one of the nicest things you can do for yourself every summer. The quality is so much better than what you'd get at a grocery store. However, using up your purchases within a week can be a challenge.

We came up with this menu because we wanted to use up last Saturday's purchases. Some of the bread was made into breadcrumbs for the next meatloaf.

Bon appetit. Remember to buy some strawberries for your dacquiri.

Made a meatloaf last night for dinner…but I had no Worcestershire sauce. Thought about adding A-1, but didn’t. I did use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs. No onions. Forgot to add them. Ate it with wild rice cooked in beef broth.

It sucks getting older…next time I will use a checklist.

What’s the obsession with a ketchup glaze?

Tomato-flavored glazes keep meatloaves juicy and it's a complementary flavor. Bacon works, too. Most glazes aren't straight ketchup but have other flavors like dijon mustard, BBQ sauce, gochujang, brown sugar.

I didn’t make a glaze really. I wanted to try to make a brown sugar glaze but thought the better of it.

My favorite meatloaf glaze combines canned tomato sauce, red wine vinegar (white is fine), Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.

[quote]It may depend on the type of oatmeal you use. I tried it once with Old Fashioned oatmeal, and I could sense the individual oats on my tongue as I ate the meatloaf. Not a good texture. Someone upthread (I think) suggested hydrating the oats before adding them to the meat mixture

Use quick oats.

[quote] Made a meatloaf last night for dinner…but I had no Worcestershire sauce. Thought about adding A-1, but didn’t. I did use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs. No onions. Forgot to add them.

R244, sounds like you left out too many ingredients. I think A-1 sauce would've been good in the meatloaf.

I will remember next time r250.

I’d like to make a “cheeseburger” meatloaf. The tomato glaze would make very good sense then.

I make a meatloaf from about 2 1/2 lbs of fresh ground chuck. I completely break it apart into the largest bowl I can find - mixing is easier in a huge bowl.

1 XL or 2 med. white onion, finely chopped

1 Envelope Lipton's dried onion soup mix

2 TB Worcestershire

2 TB Soy sauce

Lawry's Seasoned Salt, Lawry's Seasoned Pepper, & Lawry's Garlic Powder, to taste

1 Egg, scrambled with 1/2 C milk

1/2 + 1/2 C Ketchup

1/2 C Cottage Cheese

2 C cubed, stale white bread

1/2 LB Bacon

1 C Spinach, cooked until wilted, lightly salted

1 LB (approx) Cheddar Cheese cut into "Logs"

Wilt the fresh spinach leaves in simmering salted water or the microwave just long enough to slightly cook them. Let cool and squeeze out as much water as possible, and set aside for later.

Crumble the ground chuck into your large bowl. Break it up as completely as possible, being careful not to smash or press it down. Add by sprinkling in the Lawry's salt, pepper and garlic while you are lightly tossing the meat. Sprinkle in the onion soup powder mix. Add the well chopped onion and bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, worcestershire, soy sauce, egg, 1/2 cup of the ketchup (reserve the other half cup for the top of the meatloaf) , the cottage cheese, and then pour into the meat mixture. Very lightly but thoroughly toss with the meat mixture until it is well mixed together. Do not pack.

IMPORTANT: When I begin building my meatloaf, I add the meat very gently, in small amounts so as not to 'pack' the loaf down. It will have a lighter, more crumbly texture this way, which I really like.

In a large baking dish, gently add 1/2 of the meat mixture in a long, log/loaf shape. Make a slight 'well' down the length of the meat. Line the bottom of the 'well' with the spinach, and then add the cheese 'logs' above the spinach layer. The cheese logs should be about 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter. Top the cheese with any remaining spinach and then add the remaining 1/2 of the meatloaf mixture onto the top, gently sealing in the cheese and spinach at the top and sides. Coat the top of the loaf with the remaining 1/2 C ketchup and lay strips of uncooked bacon in rows along the top of the loaf. Bake in a 400* for 1 hour or until done. If your loaf is large, it may need to cook 1 hr 15 min.

HINT: If you are wondering if you have correctly seasoned the loaf, cook a small amount of the meat mixture in a frying pan and taste it... add more seasoning if needed. Do not use white-sea salt, always use Lawry's salt on the meat. It makes a huge difference. You can dry out the bread cubes before adding them by putting them in a low oven for 20 minutes. Do not use sourdough bread, it will not taste good, trust me. I like to use a day or two old baguette cut in 1/2 inch cubes. I like to change it up and make "Italian" meat loaf. Skip using any ketchup. Instead, use marinara sauce. I like Rao's brand. Add 2 TB dried oregano to the meat mixture. Instead of cheddar cheese inside, use Fontina or part-skim milk Mozzarella. You can still put in spinach, but I like to also add dried Italian Salami along the inside 'well'. I top the loaf with a good amount of marinara and more dried salami or a mixture of that and pepperoni. Serve with rigatoni and more marinara. Another way to mix things up is to add a row of peeled hard-boiled eggs to the center well of the meatloaf. Kids seem to really like this surprise filling.

BTW, I am R241 and R253. I thought I'd add my meatloaf recipe for you all. I really like meatloaf sandwiches the next day or two. I have never enjoyed meatloaf that is solidly packed down. When I make mine the most important part of having it turn out the way I love it is to very gently build it in small, lightly put together sections. Be sure to put in enough seasonings so it is (for lack of a better description) lively and definitely tasty. If you try my recipe or have suggestions please let me know how it turned out and if you liked it, Thanks!

I thought your ingredient list looked fussy r254 but it’s actually not. It sounds delicious.

R255, Yes, I'm definitely a fussbudget. I make damn good meatloaf though...

Nothing Fancy Meat Loaf

ground beef

one beaten egg

diced onion

diced red bell pepper

Italian style bread crumbs

1/2 can tomato sauce

salt and pepper

Mix it all with your hands and form into a loaf. Spread half of left over tomato sauce on bottom of loaf pan. Insert meatloaf and spread the rest of tomato sauce on top. 400 degrees for one hour.

I put a potato in the oven to bake, takes the same amount of time. I love carrots with it, also.

I made Monty's meatloaf with a ground beef mix of shortribs, brisket and chuck and 1/3 ground pork. Highly recommended.

Oh God. This thread still going?

Hi, Greg. Always nice to see you.

Hello, R261.

Thank you.

I made a meatloaf earlier this week and I’m throwing it out…the texture and flavor is really awful. I made it in the slow cooker and I think I overcooked it. And I mixed it with ground beef and pork. Next time I’ll follow a recipe to the letter.