Meatloaf
When I was growing up, around age 12, cooking dinner fell to me since both my parents worked. One of my "go-to" recipes was the meatloaf recipe on the back of the Quaker Oats box. Since I relate meatloaf to childhood comfort food, that recipe is more or less the one I still use now - until BF recently informed me that his mom's meatloaf (which he associates with childhood comfort food) uses no tomato product but instead uses "enough mustard to make the whole thing yellow". So, last night I subbed in a couple heaping tablespoons of both Dijon and coarse mustards for the tomato sauce I would have normally used and I have to admit it was pretty damn tasty (to be fair, I also added bacon because I was using ground turkey breast and needed moisture).
How do you make your meatloaf?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
25 Comments:
I use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs. Onions, celery, seasonings that vary with how I'm feeling, worchestershire sauce, no tomato product or mustard, but I usually eat it with ketchup.
lemonfair at 9:32AM on 10/27/09
I adore the recipe for polpettone (an Italian take on meatloaf using ground beef and veal along w/ pancetta) in the Gourmet cookbook.
Ciaohound48 at 10:10AM on 10/27/09
We always used barbecue sauce instead of ketchup, salt-pork or pork rind rather than bacon, and about 75-25 beef and pork blend. Brisket and rib tips. Lots of thick-cut onions and grated garlic. I've even added split and crushed kielbasa and chorizo to the mixture.
One trick I've posted before: line the bottom of your pan with whole slices of onion. It keeps the bottom from crusting, and you end up with meat-infused slices of onion for a gravy, or just to serve on the side (and they're delicious). A similar trick works well for roasts, too...make a rack out of celery and fill in with onions, garlic, tomato...whatever you want. The gravy is phenomenal. Use a good ale to deglaze.
NotAmerican at 10:23AM on 10/27/09
I always put a little bit of dijon mustard into my meatloaf anyway so I'm intrigued to try upping the amount and eliminating the ketchup. I use bread crumbs soaked in milk which I squeeze out before adding to the meat mixture. Adds softness and moisture both. If I make the meatloaf in a loafpan I'll put slices of bread--usually ends--on the bottom to soak up the grease. Sadly I can't resist having a few nibbles of this greasy, soggy bread but maybe I'd feel less guilty if I used onions or other veggies to be made into pan gravy.
Otabenga at 11:51AM on 10/27/09
Oh - forgot to mention that I usually use ground turkey, and 99%fat free at that. Use lots of veggies and milk to keep it moist.
lemonfair at 12:08PM on 10/27/09
Like @NotAmerican I like to use BBQ sauce instead of ketchup; mostly because I don't ever have standard tomato ketchup. (I have curry ketchup all the time but is the wrong profile for this application) I use it as a glaze near the end to get the nice crust.
I also agree with adding mustard. I add the coarse grainy maille kind. I also add white onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, celery, canned mushrooms, gravy mix, LOTS of pepper and standard steak seasoning (I should try worchestershire...hmmm...).
My father growing up would somehow incorporate an egg so when you sliced it you could see them. Anyone know how to do this? Pre-hardboil??
hungrychristel at 12:21PM on 10/27/09
I have no definitive meatloaf recipe, though I do consider it a comfort food as well. My approach is always a kind of "everything but the kitchen sink" thing, though.
If I'm using turkey, I'll soak half a box of panko in milk and use that as well as the other dry half, I may throw in sundried tomatoes, finely diced onions, garlic, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes that have been sauteed so they don't remain weirdly crunch.
Sometimes I'll do it "Italian style" and stuff the meatloaf with basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella. My boyfriend likes it when I stuff his with caramelized onions and cheddar. All of that being said, I think my meatloaf always includes eggs, bread crumbs or bread soaked in milk, worsheshire, s&p, grated parm, ketchup, and parsley. The rest is just kind of made up on the spot, depending on what I'm in the mood for. BBQ sauce as the "glaze" is also a nice addition, as well.
PumpkinBear at 1:03PM on 10/27/09
Growing up, we always had meatloaf with gravy and no tomato product. 80/20 ground beef, finely diced onion, bread crumbs from heels of bread, egg, plenty of s&p. It was always moist and tender. We almost always had it with mashed potatoes and green beans or corn. And plenty of gravy.
Nowadays, I might make meatloaf once or twice a year, but rarely is it the simple meatloaf of my childhood. The last meatloaf I made was many moons ago and the recipe came from a post by Pastor Ryan on The Pioneer Woman's website http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/cajun-meatloaf/
Quite tasty. I used ground turkey, there are so many moisture adding ingredients that it was still a moist and tender final product.
wookie at 1:10PM on 10/27/09
@PumpkinBear--when you say stuffed with caramelized onions, do you mean that you incorporate them into the meat mixture? Or is there some delicious ribbon of onion-y goodness that runs through the centre of the loaf? Because that sounds ridiculously fantastic.
BananaMonkey at 1:18PM on 10/27/09
My meatloaf is basically a sheet of seasoned chopmeat, pressed out to a rectangle. I cover it with a layer of cheese like mozzie or provolone, and a layer of ham. Prosciutto is too salty for this application in this quantity. Roll the whole thing up and bake. I have never had anyone try my meatloaf and imply they didn't like it or were bored.
therealchiffonade at 1:38PM on 10/27/09
I add a whole jar of salsa to mine -- it makes it really moist and flavorful.
gbania at 2:02PM on 10/27/09
We make it the traditional Italian way -- like a giant meatball. I have a recipe on my blog for mini versions :-)
WickedGoodDinner at 2:12PM on 10/27/09
I've still never made meatloaf - that's mom territory. But she always includes lipton's onion soup mix. We've never used it as a soup, and never had meatloaf without it. Mmm.
Yukiyummy at 2:28PM on 10/27/09
I do a version of Giada de Larentiis' "Veronica's Veggie Meatloaf with Checca Sauce". The Checca Sauce elevates this Veggie Meatloaf far above the usual lentil-and-brown-rice veggie "meat"loaf. It's really good. My whole family (who are not all Vegetarians like me) love it.
Veronica's Veggie Meatloaf with Checca Sauce
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/veronicas-veggie-meatloaf-with-checca-sauce-recipe/index.html
Brownie at 2:35PM on 10/27/09
Wow! Great ideas everyone!
Next question: Are you a loaf pan person or do you go free form? I used to be a loaf pan person, but lately I've been forming the loaf on a sheet pan (prepped with cooking spray). I like the more crusty surface (particularly when I use a glaze - last night's meatloaf got a glaze of Coleman's mustard, Jack Daniels, a little tomato paste, a dollop of coarse grain mustard, soy sauce and a dash of smoked paprika. It was really good!).
Amandarama at 3:23PM on 10/27/09
I make meatloaf however the spirit moves me. Might be a traditional pork-beef blend one time, all beef with corn and black bean salsa, cumin and oregano the next, or stir some pesto, cheese and sun dried tomatoes the time after that.
They're all good.
CJ McD at 3:45PM on 10/27/09
@amandarama--we always free form.
wookie at 4:18PM on 10/27/09
Free form-
That way let's the fat drain away and is easily pulled off with a baster.
CJ McD at 6:11PM on 10/27/09
Serious Eats did a National Meatloaf Appreciation Day on October 18, 2007. Here are three collections of recipes from that event:
Fresh From The Oven
Second Helpings
End Pieces
My mom's Dill Pickle-Sauced Meatloaf is listed on the End Pieces page but the link has changed. You can find it here.
LunaPierCook at 6:14PM on 10/27/09
I've never been a meatloaf fan, but I was intrigued by the way a boyfriend from highschool made her meatloaf. It was the ground beef with a bit of pork, italian seasoned bread crumbs, and eggs spread out on a sheet pan and then in the center some ham and whole hardcooked eggs with the sides folded up over the ham and eggs. Top off the hand formed loaf with a mixture of ketchup, worcestershire and chopped onions and bake. It looked interesting when sliced into, but I just ate the baked potato and salad--stating that I wasn't too hungry.
dhorst at 7:51PM on 10/27/09
My mom makes meatloaf with ground beef, usually 80/20. Some parsley, breadcrumbs, and an egg, shaped together to form a loaf. Then, my mom would add a small can of tomato sauce to the top. She used to use a loaf pan, but she gets a cookie sheet now and makes the loaf free-form style. When I make meatloaf, I like to use the mix of beef, pork, and veal. I add pepper, salt, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and sometimes the Garlic & Herb blend of Mrs. Dash. I'd follow the rest of my mom's recipe from that point.
fatitalianbroad at 9:59PM on 10/27/09
Meatloaf is one of those things that my mother taught me to make from memory without measuring. Though I think mine changed a little from her recipe - I use a lb of ground beef, a an egg, bread crumbs, salt, and tomato paste.
Brings me back. I can still hear the late afternoon talk shows coming from the little silver black and white tv in the kitchen.
yayfood at 11:23AM on 10/28/09
I love a good meatloaf. I use crushed Ritz crackers in mine instead of breadcrumbs and do it freeform. Hamburger, minced onion, egg, tomato sauce, crushed red pepper, s & p, topped with ketchup. It's very tasty though is built more for sandwiches the next day than dinner the first. Because nothing is better than a good meatloaf sandwich.
chisai at 11:30AM on 10/28/09
@BananaMonkey: It's a ribbon of onion-y goodness that runs through the center of the free form meatloaf. It's really tasty, you should try it!
PumpkinBear at 12:06PM on 10/28/09
Ina Garten's Turkey Meatloaf is fabulous. I always keep slices in the freezer and when I run out, I make another batch.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/turkey-meatloaf-recipe/index.html
JVozoff at 4:52PM on 10/28/09