My Meatloaf 101 Recipes

MEATLOAF 101

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse bread until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium bowl; add ground beef and ground pork.
• Place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and parsley in food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add to beef mixture; combine using your hands. Add egg, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, salt, and pepper; combine thoroughly, using your hands. Place in an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 teaspoons dry mustard, and the brown sugar; stir until smooth.
• Brush mixture over top of the meatloaf. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch drippings, and transfer to oven. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours. (If the top of the meatloaf gets too dark, cover with foil and continue baking.) Let meatloaf stand 15 minutes before slicing.

CLASSIC MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place bread in food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in milk. Set aside, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine beef, pork, onion, garlic, egg, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add bread-milk mixture, and mix very gently with a fork (do not overmix).
• Place meat mixture on prepared baking sheet, and form into a loaf about 9 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide.
• Bake, brushing twice with remaining 1/4 cup ketchup during baking, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes. Let meatloaf rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

MY MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, combine the beef, ketchup, soup mix, bread, Italian-style seasoning and water. Mix well. Shape into a loaf and place into a 9 inch pie pan OR a 9x13 inch baking dish. Baste the top of the meatloaf with ketchup.
• Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for one hour, or until the edges are just crispy and the top has a crust.
• Cool for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.

MY MEATLOAF 101

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mix ground beef with onions and celery. Peel carrot into short strips, chop and add to meat. Set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs, then add milk, ketchup and spices and blend. Combine wet mixture with meat and mix together.
• Sprinkle oatmeal over meat mixture and gently mix all together until oatmeal is well combined.
• Shape into loaf shape and place in metal loaf pan; drizzle top of loaf with ketchup (I place my ketchup in a small squirt-top dispenser for convenience). Bake for approximately 1 hr 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven, let stand about 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

MEATLOAF 101

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Place bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse until fine crumbs form.
• Transfer to a medium bowl, and add ground beef.
• Place onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade; pulse until fine.
• Add to meat mixture, using hands to mix well.
• Add egg, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, salt, and pepper; use hands to combine thoroughly.
• Place in an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan.
• Combine remaining 1/2 cup ketchup, remaining teaspoon dry mustard, and brown sugar in a bowl; stir until smooth.
• Brush mixture over meatloaf; place in the oven with a baking pan set on the rack below to catch drippings.
• Cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 160 degrees, about 90 minutes.
• If top gets too dark, cover with foil, and continue baking.

MEAT LOAF 101

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. There are different schools of thought when it comes to baking meat loaf. Some people like using loaf pans. Maybe it's because I often use "cheaper" ground meat, but I find that the grease soaks into the meat loaf too much when I use loaf pans. Instead, I cover a 13 x 9" baking pan with foil and set aside.
• 2. Put the ground meat, eggs, chopped veggies, bread crumbs/oats, worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 of the tomato sauce into a large bowl.
• 3. Mix all ingredients together. Some people try to do this with a large paddle spoon, but I just smoosh it together using one hand, keeping the other hand clean so I can add more bread crumbs, if necessary. The mixture should be firm, so it will stick together while baking, but not stiff.
• 4. While the mixture is still in the bowl, begin shaping it into one or two oblong "loaves."
• 5. Put the loaf or loaves into the prepared baking pan. I like to top the loaf/loaves with the rest of the tomato sauce, leftover green pepper strips, and parmesan cheese. Like this for one loaf...
• 6. ...or maybe this, for two loaves.
• 7. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 75 minutes or so. (I've been known to cut into a meat loaf, if I really can't decide if it's done in the middle. I'm sure there's a rule about NOT doing that, but I'm a rebel that way...)
• 8. Once you decide your meat loaf is done, remove it from the oven & take it out of the pan. (You really don't want it soaking up any grease, you know?) Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
• 9. TOMATO GRAVY, anyone? This southern accompaniment is easy to make in the last few minutes of baking the meatloaf. Check it out here: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/sauce-spread-gravy/tomato-gravy.html
• 10. Serve with your favorite side dishes. That would be mashed potatoes & corn, as shown here, or https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/potatoes/helens-cheesy-potatoes.html?p=1 and maybe https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/vegetable/corn-bake.html?p=2. (These recipes can also be found in my personal recipe section.) Now wasn't that easy? =^..^=