Make Meatloaf Great Again

Meatloaf has a long history. It was first noted in the fourth or fifth century A.D. in the Roman cookbook Apicius. Since then, a host of different minced and ground meat dishes arose. The advent of the meat grinder in the 19th century made the dish much easier. But cooks around the world have added wine, dried fruits and nuts, herbs, and even baked hard-boiled eggs inside.

I must admit meatloaf is usually the last dinner option on my mind. Growing up, my dad was the cook in our family. He occasionally made this staple offering and it was, frankly, drier than a North African sandstorm. I grew to hate it, even though I knew plenty of people who craved it. It’s the ultimate comfort food. Yet, other people had fond memories of moist meat and not a hockey puck posing as a meal.

So, it was my mission to find a recipe that did just that: make meatloaf great again. I first started with a classic 1950s, straightforward approach to it. It’s meat, fresh breadcrumbs soaked in milk, shredded carrots and minced onions, eggs, salt and pepper. (There is the addition of grated cheese. In this case, it’s cheddar. But, you could easily replace it with Parmesan or Pecorino Romano.) Plop it in a pan, stick it in the oven, and wait for the goodness.

This recipe also added a glaze made from ketchup, yellow mustard, and brown sugar. Anytime the same condiments used on a hot dog are called for, that’s when you know it’s old school.

Just a side note: I lined the pan with parchment paper. It just makes getting the loaf out easier with less mess.

Here are the ingredients:

3 slices of bread, crumbled

½ c. carrot, grated

⅔ c. onion, grated

1 c. cheddar, grated

2 eggs

⅔ c. milk

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 lbs. lean ground beef

Glaze:

½ c. ketchup

½ c. brown sugar

2 TB. yellow mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak the breadcrumbs in milk until saturated. Whisk eggs and add the remaining ingredients to the mixture. Add the soaked breadcrumbs, mixing thoroughly, before adding the beef. Place all mixed ingredients into an ungreased standard loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Press down to make sure ingredients are evenly spread throughout the pan. Bake 45 minutes with loaf pan on a baking sheet for any overrun.

In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients. Remove the meatloaf and coat the top.  Bake for another 30-45 minutes. (I took it out at 30 and let it rest. But if you like you’re meat more well done, you may want to bake it the full time.)

Enjoy this classic meal with mashed potatoes and buttered petite peas. Yum!