I don’t know about you, but for some reason, I feel an intense need for meatloaf every couple of months. Kind of like chili, it’s one of those things you tend to make a little differently each time. I’ve made meatloaf so many different ways and the beautiful thing is, it’s really hard to screw up. So, feel free to experiment a little. Substitute this for that. Eliminate. Or, try adding something new if the mood strikes you. What follows is my attempt to “standardize” my meatloaf recipe. While the recipe might change here and there, the mashed potatoes and green beans that accompany it almost never do.
Ingredients
- 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (from 6 oz. can)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 large eggs
- 1.5 pounds grass-fed ground beef
- 1 pound pasture-raised ground pork
- 3-4 hard-boiled eggs (optional)*
Glaze
- Tomato paste or ketchup
- Honey or brown sugar
- Nutmeg
- Dry mustard
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl (except for the hard-boiled eggs) if using and thoroughly mix together using your hands.
- Take the ground meat mixture and place into a loaf pan. Be sure to pat down well to ensure uniformity throughout.
- If using the hard-boiled eggs, first place half the ground meat mixture in the loaf pan, pat down, and then line the eggs down the middle of the pan. Cover with the remaining ground meat and pat down well making sure there are no air pockets.
- Finally, assemble and apply the glaze. I usually do this one of two ways, and honestly – just kind of just wing it every time, but it looks something like this: In a small bowl, take the remaining tomato paste, some honey, ground nutmeg, and dry mustard and mix well with a spoon. Don’t like or have any nutmeg or dry mustard? Leave them out. I probably use what amounts to a tablespoon or two of honey, a 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, and a 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard. I suggest you start there and mix and taste until it suits your liking. When satisfied, spread it all over the top of your meatloaf.
- Sometimes I don’t have any tomato paste, and this is where the ketchup comes in. First, substitute the two tablespoons of tomato paste in the meatloaf itself for two tablespoons of ketchup. Then simply use ketchup instead of tomato paste for the glaze. I’d also recommend using brown sugar in this instance, otherwise, the glaze becomes too runny and you’ll lose much of it during the baking process. For the record, I prefer option 1, while Stacy prefers option 2.
- Bake for 75 minutes at 350.
*I usually don’t take this step. Mainly because it takes a little more planning and preparation, and I usually find myself making meatloaf during a last-minute craving. However, I always feel supremely rewarded when I plan ahead and do!