Best Meatloaf Recipe

Best Meatloaf

YIELD

8 servings 

ACTIVE TIME

25 minutes 

TOTAL TIME

1 hour, 50 minutes   

Ingredients:
1 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs (from 6 slices firm white bread; see Cooks' Note below)
1/3 cup whole milk
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil, such as grapeseed
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck, preferably 20% fat
1/2 pound ground pork
2 large eggs
1/2 cup ketchup, divided, plus more for serving
Directions:

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or 13x9" shallow baking dish with foil. Soak breadcrumbs in milk in a large bowl until ready to use.

Pulse onion, celery, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. (Alternatively, you can finely chop by hand.)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion mixture, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in Worcestershire, and scrape into bowl with breadcrumb mixture. Add beef, pork, eggs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and remaining 1 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper, then mix with your hands to combine.

Form meatloaf mixture into a long, well-packed, approximately 5"-wide loaf shape on prepared baking sheet. Brush top of loaf with 1/4 cup ketchup. Bake meatloaf until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 155°F, 60–75 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with more ketchup alongside.

Do Ahead

Meatloaf can be made 3 days ahead; wrap in foil and chill, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Cooks' Note

To make fine fresh breadcrumbs, preheat oven to 300°F. Place 6 slices white sandwich bread on a wire rack set into a baking sheet. Bake until completely dry and just beginning to turn golden, 15–20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then pulse in a food processor until fine crumbs form.

Bill Blass Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped celery
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds ground beef sirloin
½ pound ground veal
½ pound ground pork
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
⅓ cup sour cream
½ cup soft bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 egg
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups Heinz chili sauce
3 slices bacon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, saute the celery and onion in the butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a large mixing bowl and cool.
When the onions are cool enough to handle, add the meats, parsley, sour cream, bread crumbs, thyme, marjoram and salt and pepper to the bowl. Whisk the egg with the Worcestershire sauce and add to the mixture. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, combine the mixture and mold into the shape of a loaf.
Place the meatloaf in the prepared pan. Top with the chili sauce and bacon slices. Bake until firm and nicely browned, about 1 hour.

Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, 

Beat 2 eggs,
Add 2/3 cup of milk
32 crushed crackers,
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese,
Add 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, mix well, 

Bake 45 minutes.


Make the topping by combining
1/2 cup ketchup,
1/2 cup brown sugar and
1 teaspoon mustard.

Spread half of the topping over the meatloaf after 30 minutes of baking and the other half after 40 total minutes of baking. Put the meatloaf back in the oven for the final five to 10 minutes of baking. This recipe makes nine servings.

As an alternative make a Cracker Barrel meatloaf that uses bread crumbs and canned tomatoes. 

Combine 2 pounds of ground beef,
6 ounces of chopped onions,
4 ounces of diced bell green peppers,
2 eggs,
1 teaspoon salt,
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,
8 ounces diced canned tomatoes and
1/2 cup grated biscuit crumbs in a large bowl,
Mix completely with your hands. Put the mixture in a loaf pan, and push down with a spoon.
Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes. When done, take the loaf out of the oven, and turn it upside-down over a wire cooling wrack to drain the grease.


Cover the loaf with 1/2 cup ketchup.
This recipe serves eight.

American Meatloaf

American Meatloaf

Meatloaf one would think is very American, its origins actually in a German colonial dish of minced pork mixed with cornmeal. Italians cook it a lot as well and in this rendition the cultures blend deliciously with the addition of a pestata to an American classic. Not only does it taste delicious but it is foolproof, moist every time. The leftovers reheat as if just cooked and Italians love to serve it with roasted potato wedges.

Ingredients
2 cups country crusty bread cubes
1 cup milk
2 medium carrots, cut in cubes
2 medium celery, cut in chunks
1 medium onion, cut in chunks
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 ½  pounds ground pork
1 bunch scallions, cut in slices
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Granna or Grana Padano
1 cup marinara sauce or pureed canned tomatoes
½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dry oregano
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put bread cubes in a medium bowl and pour the milk over. Let soak until bread is soft. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the carrot, celery and onion and pulse to make a fine-textured paste or pestata.

When the bread is soft, squeeze out excess milk and put bread in a large mixing bowl. Add pestata, ground meats, scallions, grated cheese, marinara sauce, parsley, salt and oregano. Mix well with your hands to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Oil a 10-by-15 Pyrex (or other) baking dish with the olive oil. Form meat mixture into a loaf in the oiled pan.

Baked until browned and cooked through (the center of the meatloaf should read 165 degrees F in an instant read thermometer), about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Meatloaf

Meatloaf

This is another recipe from the San Diego Union Tribune Food section of the Wednesday newspaper. The publication was recognizing recipes that families had handed down. Known today as "comfort foods", several recipes reminded me of the dishes my mother used to prepare and serve. This recipe was printed on the side of the cylinder shaped box of Mothers Oats and I do remember this tasty dish from my youth.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

3/4 cup oatmeal, uncooked

1/4 cup chopped onions, (raw)

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup tomato juice or tomato paste

1 beaten egg

*

Directions:

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pack firmly into an ungreased loaf pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Let stand a few minutes before slicing.