Made with Love Meatloaf

Another recipe made at the request of the love of my life. Meatloaf feels like such an Americana dinner staple, but it was never something that my family made, so I had an adventure researching different recipes to find a flavor profile and consistency that I knew he would love.

Usually around an hour and a half of cooking time, so something I like to save for making on my days off, buuuuuuut it does feed us for like three meals, so great to make at the start of the work week!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, finely shredded
  • 1 stick of celery, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tbsp bbq sauce
  • Milk (see below for amount)
  • Salt, pepper, garlic poweder to taste (don't be shy, you're seasoning a lot of meat)
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs (i use the unseasoned ones)
  • 3lbs ground beef (or whatever, i'm not the boss of you)
  • Glaze: 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Sautee the onion, carrot, and celery until translucent. Set aside to cool
  3. Add the worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and bbq sauce to a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1 cup marker, then add the eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well.
  4. Gradually add the breadcrumbs and set aside to soak for 5-10 minutes
  5. In a large bowl, add the ground beef and mix in the breadcrumb mixture and cooled veggies really well. The first few times I made this, I underestimated how much I needed to mix it. Just keep going. (I highly recommend using disposable gloves for this step.)
  6. Shape into three loaves on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove from the oven, add glaze to the loaves with a basting brush. Cook for another 20 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven to glaze the loaves again. Cook for a final 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 155.
  9. Let those bad boys rest for like 10-15 minutes! I usually use this opportunity to cook some veggies as a side.

Notes

  • For the meat, I tend to pick lower fat to reduce the amount of drippings I have after. Also, highly recommend covering your pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up.