Winter weather means comfort food, and meatloaf is a good standby recipe to keep.
For Christmas I was gift a copy of the new version of The Joy of Cooking. My old one is well worn, and has pages full of smears and drips. My new one already has my favorite recipes marked with sticky notes already. It’s supposed to have 600 new recipes (or something like that) compared to the past version. When I decided on meatloaf this past week, I got out the new book to see how it was made Joy of Cooking way. So my recipe is based on the version in there. As you know, I seldom follow any recipe exactly as it is written.
Use Add-in’s
Meatloaf is a good place to experiment though, with ingredients, toppings, and sides to complete a whole meal. While I like the taste of barbecue sauce in the meatloaf, my family does not, so I use ketchup. If you like, add some Parmesan cheese into the mix, or some vegetables, finely grated. Mom always put in carrots. Parsnips, available during the winter, would also work. Finely chopped red pepper would add some pretty color (and vitamin C). Use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs if you want (Mom did that too on occasion). If you prefer poultry, use ground chicken or turkey.
I always have a bag of fresh bread crumbs in the freezer. At the end of the loaf when only the heels and a slice are left, I whir it all up into fine crumbs in the food processor and put it into my bag. Then anytime I need crumbs, there they are.
Many people bake meatloaf in a loaf pan, but generally I prefer a cast iron skillet or pie pan. If using glass, lower the oven temperature by 25F.
Keep it moist and soft
Dry meatloaf is a real let-down. I cook meatloaf on a slightly lower temperature settings than in many cookbooks. I like to keep the outside from getting too hard and crispy. Comfort food, for me, is all about soft and warm. I use 85% lean ground beef – some fat, but I don’t want to see fat swimming in the pan when it comes out of the oven. Too lean meat can get dry, as could ground chicken or turkey, so you would want to add an extra egg or more milk.
Hearty Meatloaf
Meatloaf is basically a mix of ground beef (and perhaps pork, veal or lamb) with breading, vegetables eggs, and sauce. It's true comfort food.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cooking il
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 1.5 – 2 lb beef, or a mix of beef, pork and/or veal
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs or oatmeal or crackers
- 2/3 cup ketchup, barbecue sauce or tomato based chili sauce
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 or 5 mushrooms, chopped well but not too finely
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper, freshly gorund if you can
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 325F
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Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan, or use a cast iron skillet or pie dish to shape the loaf in the center. It can be round, rectangular or oval. It all cooks the same.
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Mix with a large wooden spoon, fork or with your hands to just blend together. Do not mix to hard or compact the meat.
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Place in the loaf pan or shape to your desire in an open pan.
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Bake 1 – 1.5 hours until the internal temperature is 160F.
Pour off any excess fat, and let stand to rest 10-15 minutes. (Make the gravy now!)
Recipe Notes
Meatloaf mix should be handled carefully, and not compacted, otherwise it can turn into a very dense loaf. It can be glazed halfway through cooking with barbecue or ketchup. Some people like to wrap the top in bacon before cooking, which adds lots of bacon-y goodness and a crispy crust to the outside.
It should not be overcooked – use a thermometer to check the internal temperature and remove from the oven when it reaches 160F. Let it rest, just like a steak, after cooking so the juices evenly distribute back through the loaf.
Tell me please, What do you add into your meatloaf mix?
And how do you eat the leftovers?
And if you need to make meatballs, it’s basically the same recipe, just mix and form into 1 1/2-2″ balls, then bake!