7/21/06 | Leftovers: Meatloaf
[ Currently Eating: Hash Browns and Fried Eggs ]
I was planning on posting like 5 pictures of leftovers this week but just didn’t get around to it. In any case, here’s your Leftover Lunch for today: Meatloaf! We like to make a ground beef / pork meatloaf based on a recipe from Cooks Illustrated. I know a lot of people use the meatloaf trinity (veal, beef, pork) but we usually don’t have veal on hand. I’ve heard you can also involve ground turkey or chicken. The recipe we use actually has a semi-sweet hot glaze on the top, and though I’m not usually a fan of sweet main dishes it goes quite well with the meatloaf because it’s a thin glaze.
The meatloaf also includes bread crumbs, egg, onions, parsley and yogurt as well as various spices. We bake the meatloaf on a cookie sheet, instead of in a loaf pan. One tip: if you don’t like semi-crunchy onions in your loaf, you can pre-cook them in a skillet. Just keep cooking the onions with a bit of oil and keep adding water until the onions are soft. Then drain, cool and add it to the meatloaf mixture.
July 21st, 2006 at 11:18 am
Ahh, meatloaf! The dish of a thousand variations!
I also like to sneak some healthy stuff in mine to fool unsuspecting teenagers: oatmeal, shredded zucchini and carrots, stuff like that. Sometimes I use V-8 spicy as the liquid.
But what is that in the background I see? RICE?? What, no mashed potatoes? Mashed potaotes are required by law to be served with meatloaf. Hop to it.
July 21st, 2006 at 2:42 pm
I also use a variation of the Cooks Illustrated, and I leave out the veal. Sometimes, I leave out the pork. It’s a great recipe, and the glaze is fantastic (and I’ve never been a fan of meatloaf glazes). I like how cooking it outside of a loaf pan (I use a 13×9 baking pan) gets all sides crunchy. Oh, I do NOT put bacon on it as they do. yuck.
Their meatballs are awesome, too.
July 22nd, 2006 at 4:15 am
I am a meatloaf expert. I love Meatloaf. I have asked a 5 star chef to prepare me meatloaf. Made with ground Kobe beef it is fantastic-but not a cheap eat. Any restaurant I go to that has meatloaf, I order it (at leat once). My favorite part of meatloaf is the sandwich the next day. I have a recipe from my mother outlaw (as opposed to inlaw) that is my wifes personal favorite and I think the best for next day sandwiches.
July 23rd, 2006 at 3:52 pm
I’ve never attempted to make a meatloaf, but I think it’s on my list of things to do before I die. Anyway, I’m proud of you for eating rice with your meatloaf. You gotta represent. Although, Peggasus is right, meatloaf is better with mashed potatoes.
July 23rd, 2006 at 5:15 pm
peggasus - oh yeah, carrots and zucchini are great additions. I’ve also heard people trying to sneak tofu past unsuspecting meat-a-tarians. My mom does that in enchiladas… Yeah, we usually DO have mashed potatoes with meatloaf, just this time around we were too lazy to pick up potatoes at the market.
toni - oh, i was wondering about the bacon alternate recipe they have in there… so I guess that a thumbs down on that huh?
aaron - i trust your meatloafiness… yeah, a good meatloaf sandwich is amazing.
marvo - it still does not beat spaghetti or lasagna with a side of white rice that my dad does, but I guess I do like to represent my rice relatives…
August 19th, 2006 at 11:11 am
TVP is a great addition to any meatloaf. TVP is textured vegetable protein, and it’s generally crazy cheap — around here it’s about $4 a pound and since you rehydrate it (with water, stock, juice, whatever), 1 pound goes a long way. I make a meatloaf with half ground turkey and half TVP and meatlovers never notice a difference. I’m pretty new to your site so I don’t know if you are a fan of the stuff, but TVP rocks!
September 24th, 2006 at 3:47 am
I like to change things up for the Autumn meatloaf. When I saute the onions in a bit of butter or duck fat, I add some small dice celery, garlic and small diced green apples. I add this par-cooked mixture to the meatloaf along with brie cheese cut into cubes. I form the meatloaf on a baking sheet, tuck in any exposed cheese bits and glaze with a mixture of apple butter, apple cider and a little salt and cayenne to taste. Sage goes well with these flavor combinations. It is a different meatloaf, but delicious, I promise. Extra tip: the brie is easier to cut if you put it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before cutting.