Meat Loaf 101 Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk and bread OR cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 9x5-inch loaf pan, or form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
• In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and pour over the meatloaf.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Whisk the eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce and 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl until completely combined. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and lightly golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add 3 tablespoons of the ketchup and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is thick and brick red colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the onions cool slightly. Then add them to the beaten eggs and mix to combine.
• Add the beef to the egg and onion mixture. Break up the meat with a fork or wooden spoon, and then mix to thoroughly combine; you don't want to see any lumps of raw beef. Add the panko and mix to combine. Stir the meat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 7 seconds; it will become more homogenous and tackier.
• Transfer the meat to the prepared baking sheet and shape into a 9-by-5-inch loaf. Smooth the top and evenly spread the remaining ketchup over top. Bake for 5 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf registers 150 degrees F, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the meatloaf to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
• Combine the meatloaf mix, breadcrumbs, parsley, eggs, onion, garlic, 1/4 cup of the ketchup, 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix together until well combined.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and form it into a compact oval-shaped loaf about 9 inches by 5 inches. Bake the meatloaf for 30 minutes.
• Stir the brown sugar together with the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire in a small bowl for the glaze. Brush the top and sides of the meatloaf all over with the glaze. Return to the oven and bake until the glaze starts to caramelize and a thermometer inserted in the center of the meatloaf registers 160 degrees F, about 25 minutes more. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meat loaf will be dense. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meat loaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven, under the meat loaf, will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot.

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.

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? =^..^=

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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the carrot, celery, onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor, and pulse until very finely chopped, almost to a puree. Place the minced vegetables into a large mixing bowl, and mix in ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, and egg. Add Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix gently with a wooden spoon to incorporate vegetables and egg into the meat. Pour in bread crumbs. With your hand, gently mix in the crumbs with your fingertips just until combined, about 1 minute.
• Form the meatloaf into a ball. Pour olive oil into a baking dish and place the ball of meat into the dish. Shape the ball into a loaf, about 4 inches high by 6 inches across.
• Bake in the preheated oven just until the meatloaf is hot, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, ketchup, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce. Stir until the brown sugar has dissolved.
• Remove the meatloaf from the oven. With the back of a spoon, smooth the glaze onto the top of the meatloaf, then pull a little bit of glaze down the sides of the meatloaf with the back of the spoon.
• Return meatloaf to oven, and bake until the loaf is no longer pink inside and the glaze has baked onto the loaf, 30 to 40 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loaf should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Cooking time will depend on shape and thickness of the meatloaf.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse bread in a food processor until finely ground. (You should have about 2 1/2 cups breadcrumbs.) Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Pulse garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and parsley in food processor until finely chopped. Add to breadcrumbs. Add meats, egg, 1/4 cup ketchup, the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix together using your hands. Transfer mixture to a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan.
• Stir together remaining 1/2 cup ketchup and the brown sugar until smooth; brush onto meat. Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160 degrees, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Add crumbled bread and stir until dissolved. Mix ground beef, onion, Cheddar cheese, and carrot into bread mixture; transfer mixture to a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Combine brown sugar, ketchup, and mustard in a small bowl; spread over meat mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).