Before you turn your nose up at meatloaf, consider this...
1. Everyone has their own recipe, it's been around for ages and this is likely to be a bit different than your version.
2. Making small loafs instead of one big one nets you more crusty goodness and reduces cooking time!
We didn't have meatloaf much growing up so this isn't an "old family recipe", it's my own easy version of an old classic. So fasten your seatbelt for a Monster Meatloaf ride!
What you'll need to start: 1/2 red bell pepper, 2-3 stalks of celery, 1 medium yellow onion (or half of a large one, 2 lbs of ground beef, salt and pepper. This makes 2 mini loaves. Simply half or double the recipe to suit your own needs.
Dice those veggies up so they are all about the same sized dice. Doesn't have to be perfect, just know it helps everything cook evenly.
Heat 1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp of vegetable or olive oil in a pan. Saute the veggies until they are soft and onions are translucent.
Once the sauteed veggies are done and cool enough to handle, toss them into the ground beef.
Add 2 slightly beaten eggs and 3/4 cup of dry bread crumbs to the meat and mix well. Form into two rectangular loaves to fit your pan. You can use a loaf pan to shape them (line with plastic wrap for easy removal) or hand shape them. I've used the broiler pan from my toaster oven and lined the bottom with foil for easy cleanup. Anything I can bake in the oven can be made in my toaster oven. It's smaller so it uses less energy. I'm always in favor of being green.
Now, for the topping! I mix two parts ketchup to one part yellow mustard and brown sugar. Mix it well then taste. If it's too sweet for your taste add more mustard. If it's too tart add more ketchup or brown sugar for added sweetness. It's at this point I add cayenne pepper to the mix. Hubby loves things HOT (that's why he married me, hehehe).
Cover the loaves with a thin layer of the sauce and bake at 350 for 1/2 hour. Pull it out and put another coating of sauce on the loaves then return it to the oven. Do this every 10 minutes until the loaves are cooked to 140 degrees.
By adding the sauce in increments it has a chance to firm up and create that crusty goodness mentioned earlier. The "oh my goodness this is awesome" factor will be kicked up a few notches!
The "crust" is so good my husband and I fight over the end pieces (they have the most crust). By making two small ones we get four ends instead of just two.
I always make more than needed so I'll have leftovers. Hubby loves finding meatloaf sandwiches in his lunch bag the next day! There is typically excess ooey gooey sauce which I spread on the sandwich bread instead of mayo. If there isn't enough sauce, I use a little of the mayo for the sandwich. It's delish either way.
If you try this one, I'd love to read about it!
1. Everyone has their own recipe, it's been around for ages and this is likely to be a bit different than your version.
2. Making small loafs instead of one big one nets you more crusty goodness and reduces cooking time!
We didn't have meatloaf much growing up so this isn't an "old family recipe", it's my own easy version of an old classic. So fasten your seatbelt for a Monster Meatloaf ride!
What you'll need to start: 1/2 red bell pepper, 2-3 stalks of celery, 1 medium yellow onion (or half of a large one, 2 lbs of ground beef, salt and pepper. This makes 2 mini loaves. Simply half or double the recipe to suit your own needs.
Dice those veggies up so they are all about the same sized dice. Doesn't have to be perfect, just know it helps everything cook evenly.
Once the sauteed veggies are done and cool enough to handle, toss them into the ground beef.
Add 2 slightly beaten eggs and 3/4 cup of dry bread crumbs to the meat and mix well. Form into two rectangular loaves to fit your pan. You can use a loaf pan to shape them (line with plastic wrap for easy removal) or hand shape them. I've used the broiler pan from my toaster oven and lined the bottom with foil for easy cleanup. Anything I can bake in the oven can be made in my toaster oven. It's smaller so it uses less energy. I'm always in favor of being green.
Now, for the topping! I mix two parts ketchup to one part yellow mustard and brown sugar. Mix it well then taste. If it's too sweet for your taste add more mustard. If it's too tart add more ketchup or brown sugar for added sweetness. It's at this point I add cayenne pepper to the mix. Hubby loves things HOT (that's why he married me, hehehe).
Cover the loaves with a thin layer of the sauce and bake at 350 for 1/2 hour. Pull it out and put another coating of sauce on the loaves then return it to the oven. Do this every 10 minutes until the loaves are cooked to 140 degrees.
The "crust" is so good my husband and I fight over the end pieces (they have the most crust). By making two small ones we get four ends instead of just two.
I always make more than needed so I'll have leftovers. Hubby loves finding meatloaf sandwiches in his lunch bag the next day! There is typically excess ooey gooey sauce which I spread on the sandwich bread instead of mayo. If there isn't enough sauce, I use a little of the mayo for the sandwich. It's delish either way.
If you try this one, I'd love to read about it!
Amelia! Welcome to blogland! You're a friend of Deborah's and she listed you in her Versatile Award blog, so here I am, thankful to have been introduced to you! We're a cookin' family...our son has his Bachelor's from the Culinary Institute of America, and we all love food and cooking. Love the name of your blog--very, very creative! Best wishes with your new blog. I'm very new at it myself, but if I can help you in any way, please email me. Can't wait to try your recipe out!
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