Meatloaf is one of those great meat-based, budget entrees. It uses some of the cheaper cuts of meat and can be stretched with fillers like grains and veggies/aromatics. One pound of ground meat can be stretched to feed 5 or 6 people. While many of us use ground beef, ground game meat or farmed poultry or pork can also be used. Some recipes call for a mix of ground pork and ground beef in the same loaf. Vegetarian recipes might not be exactly "meat"loaf, but a bean-based loaf is also a possibility. My point? Meatloaf is budget-friendly and versatile.
As I was preparing a meatloaf for my family last night, I was thinking about all of the variations that folks do when making their meatloaves. My mother always used a slice or two of bread soaked in milk added to onions, herbs, salt and pepper, an egg, and ground beef. She spread the top of the meatloaf with ketchup before baking, and the loaf was baked in a bread pan.
My own meatloaf is a bit more basic. I soak a torn slice of bread in water, add diced onion and minced garlic, plus whatever herbs sound good (usually thyme, oregano, and rosemary) with the ground beef. If I feel like adding a bit of vegetable to the loaf, I add a spoonful of tomato paste or pumpkin puree to the mixture. Overall, my own meatloaf is pretty basic -- no egg, no glaze or topping. But it does taste meaty, and that's what I like. I bake mine formed into a loaf on a baking sheet with raised edges. I like how the sides get a bit crispy as well as the top when baked on a sheet. I sometimes make a gravy with the drippings and lots of aromatics. This is particularly tasty when I serve mashed potatoes on the side. Mmmm -- meatloaf and potatoes covered in gravy.
So, how about you? What do you add to your meatloaf? Do you add oats, bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, or other grains? Do you use an egg in your loaf? What flavorings do you use? And do you like to spread the top with a glaze of some sort, like ketchup? Do you bake yours in a bread pan (loaf-shaped) or do you form it on a baking sheet? Do you ever make a gravy with the drippings? And why do you choose what you do?
I like hearing how others do basic things like making meatloaf, as I sometimes get ideas and inspiration to try something different. Share in the comments how you make your meatloaf?
I never enjoyed meatloaf growing up. It was dry, crumbly and no topping. As a new bride and then a mom, I still never made meatloaf. But I have tried plenty especially when I had one of my children a friend brought over a meatloaf but I still didn't enjoy it. It was a lovely gesture but oats in meatloaf just doesn't do it for me. I believe I found a recipe in Taste of Home magazine called "Best Ever Meatloaf" and that started my journey to liking meatloaf. It had a ketchup, brown sugar type topping put on sometime during the baking time. It is a very good meatloaf that I still love today. The second one is called beer meatloaf that has beer in the meatloaf and has some in the glaze. This recipe calls for ground beef and ground sausage and it is also a meatloaf I really enjoy. We always serve meatload with mashed potatoes and sliced cooked carrots with butter and brown sugar. I don't like oats nor a packet of onion soup in my meatloaf. I much rather use bread crumbs or bread ends that I freeze for this purpose. Each one of these recipe use that little bit of mustard left in the mustard container using the liquid called for in the recipe put into the container and shaking vigorously. The beer meatloaf glaze also calls for mustard. I am now a meatloaf lover.
ReplyDeleteAlice
I haven't made meatloaf in a long time. However, I usually use oats with an egg. My son taught me to soak the oats before hand and that helps with the texture, especially if you're using regular or steel cut oats. I also have used old bread, crackers, or what every else was around for filler. I like to put spinach and/or shredded carrots in for added nutrition and moisture. I used to bake in in a loaf pan, but now I do thick patties because they bake much faster. And I love the ketchup caramelized on top, but not everyone else does, so I go light on that.
ReplyDeleteWe are having meatloaf tonite. It’s one of my favorites, and every one of my kids love it. I’m using. A lb of ground beef and a pound of ground elk tonite. I will use 2 eggs, and oatmeal or bread crumbs. Then I add milk or tomato juice until I have the consistency I want. I usually just add onion soup mix if I have it. If not just some basic spices. I like to mix it up and let it sit for an hour or so.I always top it with ketchup, mustard and brown sugar halfway through the cooking time. Since I am using 2 lbs of meat tonite I will make a small one for youngest Ds. He loves meatloaf, and while he does cook, he never makes meatloaf. I texted him to ask if he wanted one and his response was Yes!!!!! I could ask all the kids and get the same enthusiastic response lol.
ReplyDeleteDiane
My meatloaf is a combo of my mom's, stepmom's and grandma recipes. 2 lbs of ground meat, 2 eggs (an egg for each lb of meat,) a cup of bread crumbs, and spices (parsley, thyme, powdered garlic, salt, pepper) and my topping is a 1/2 c of ketchup with 2 T brown sugar added. Some options I have used: fried red onion on top, mushroom soup instead of the ketchup mixture, red sauce or bar-b-que sauce intead of ketchup mixture. I also received the right to add chopped onion, green pepper or mushrooms. My grandma taught me to observe while mixing to reduce chance of making it too dry or wet. I make 2 or 3 at a time.
ReplyDeleteMeatloaf is a favorite of my daughter, but my son doesn't care for it. Consequently, I made it for her last week (while she was still home but my son was gone). I use the Betty Crocker recipe and use the oatmeal/milk combination (there are several options in the BC cookbook). It never occurred to me, until I read L&L's comment, that some people might use something other than quick oats. That's what we have on hand, so that's what I've always used. I can see where it might be too dry with old fashioned oats or steel cut oats. I learned from a blogger that quick oats function more like a flour in recipes than do old fashioned oats. As far as topping it, we love BBQ sauce on top. I'm not a huge gravy fan. I have used both ground beef and a combination of ground beef/ground pork. I have never tried venison burger--I find that venison tends to be dry and I would need to play with the proportions to get it to taste the way I want it to. Oh, and I prefer baking it in a loaf pan--I guess I don't like the crunchy edges.
ReplyDeleteI have to keep my foods plain and simple. So my meatloaf is grass fed ground beef (organic if possible) mixed with an egg and either bread crumbs from my homemade gluten free bread (that I save up in the freezer) or oats. That's it! Still yummy. I also grease the baking dish with some ghee since I have to use the lowest fat beef I can procure.
ReplyDeleteBefore all my health issues, I used to add milk, ketchup, parsley and chopped onions to the mix as well. Sometimes I still add a bit of parsley.
Jo
Growing up, my mom always added part of a can of Campbell's tomato soup to her meatloaf, then spread the rest on top. It took me a while to figure out a meatloaf my family likes. I typically use 2 lbs of beef, but have used 1/2 ground pork before. To this I add 2 eggs, a chopped onion, rolled oats (I only buy GF sprouted rolled oats from Costco so I use them anywhere I need oats), salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sometimes a bit of the canned type of Parmesan/Romano cheese. This is formed into a large loaf baked on parchment on a cookie sheet, and a bit before it's fully done, I spread ketchup over part of the loaf and BBQ sauce over part, leaving the rest plain (one kid prefers plain).
ReplyDeleteWe have a box of stuffing mix that I bought last year on clearance, which expires this month, so I am planning to use it up in meatloaf. Add egg and water, let it soak for a few hours, then mix with ground beef. Maybe add chopped celery and carrots since the stuffing mix called for celery.
ReplyDeleteHave a good day,
Laura
I tried a different recipe this week and we loved it. Since it is just my husband and I now (six kids matured and left!) I’m always needing to rethink how I do things. For this recipe one uses the usual meatloaf ingredients. I use one pound of ground beef, an egg, bread crumbs, bbq sauce, seasonings. (I didn’t feel like making bbq sauce so I added a tablespoon of maple syrup to 1/4 c. of catsup.). The main difference for this recipe is to press the meatloaf mixture into a 9”x9” greased pan, and bake for 25 minutes. You then spread about two cups of mashed potatoes over the top, and sprinkle with grated cheese. I returned it to the oven to melt the cheese. Easy to serve with none of the crumbling I find with a loaf shape. DELISH!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your interesting and informative posts. Conni