A Meatloaf Even Your Kids Will Eat
As a kid, I was never fond of the rectangular brown brick that my mom served us. It was always mysterious-looking and to me a big waste of perfectly good hamburger meat.
I remember it as always being dry no matter how much instant gravy was poured over it. And because my family belonged to the "clean plate" club, there wasn't even the opportunity to hide pieces under the lumpy mashed potatoes.
But I now have a new opinion of this classic dish. We were having some friends over for dinner and my wife wanted to serve "Diner" fare. When she suggested meat loaf, memories flooded my brain and I tried to resist but we ended up serving it with garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, cole slaw, and beets.
This recipe comes from a restaurant in Venice, California called 72 Market Street and has been described as the "ultimate meat loaf". Of course I was skeptical to say the least, but after my first bite I converted from a lifelong meat loaf hater to a satiated meat loaf lover and wanted to share this other All-American recipe with you.
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📖 Recipe
Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¾ cup onion finely chopped
- ¾ cup scallions finely chopped
- ½ cup carrots finely chopped
- ¼ cup celery finely chopped
- ¼ cup red bell pepper minced
- ¼ cup green bell pepper minced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 eggs well beaten
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup half-and-half
- 2 pounds lean ground beef chuck
- 12 ounces sausage meat not fennel-flavored Italian sausage
- ¾ cup fine fresh bread crumbs toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Melt the butter in a heavy skillet, and add the onion, scallions, carrots, celery, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook until the moisture from the vegetables has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool; then refrigerate, covered, until chilled, about 1 hour.
- Combine the salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, cumin, nutmeg, and eggs in a mixing bowl, and beat well. Add the ketchup and half-and-half. Blend thoroughly.
- Add the ground beef, sausage, and bread crumbs to the egg mixture. Then add the chilled vegetables and mix thoroughly with your hands, kneading for 5 minutes.
- With damp hands to keep the mixture from sticking, form the mixture into an oval approximately 17 x 4 ½ x 1 ½ inches.
- Place the meat in a baking dish, and place the dish inside a larger pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Remove the baking dish from the water bath, and let the meat loaf rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
wanda
my friend likes hot and spicy food. would it be good if i add some real hot peppers to this. thanks
andrew
Wanda,
Here is something that would be very good to spice up a meatloaf for your friend. Look in the mexican secion ot the store for chipotles in adobo. A couple of those little firecrackers with a tablespoon or two of their sauce should amp up both the flavor and heat of your meatloaf. You will be a superstar. (the cans are maybe 4-8 ounces.}
andrew
The Reluctant Gourmet
Andrew, you said it right by describing them as "little firecrackers".
Peter Alonso
Have you tried skipping the sausage when making this recipe?
Ruth Nunez
I was asked by my son 10 years ago to make meatloaf. Being raised by a Mexican and Englishmen we never ate it. Found this recipe and fell in love. Ruined meatloaf everywhere for me.