What is your best meatloaf?

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Chief Longwind Of The North

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I've made many different meatloaf recipes over the years, from my Mom's traditional meatloaf, to a version I call the Mexican Volcano, to Mount Vesuvius, all of which I've posted on DC at one time or another. So now, I offer gthis one, which adds the slightly gamey flavor of lamb. It is just another meatlloaf recipe, and a good one, to add to your arsenal:yum:. If you afre a hunter, you could sub out the lamb, and use venison, or elk in its place.

Ingredients:
1 lb. 80/20 good ground beef
1 lb. Ground lamb
1 extra large egg
1 yellow onion, peeled and minced
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 slices mu;ti-grain bead, made into crumbs
8 Ritz style crackers
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp crushed rosemary
1/2 tsp. ground marjoram
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup honey mustard, or your favorite BBQ sauce

Pre-heat oven to 250; F.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except for the sauce. Placein a loaf pan that has been greased with bacon grease. Cover the loaf pan with heavy duty foil, shiny side down. Bake for 45o' f. oven for45 minutes. Remove, and top with sauce. serve with riced potatoes, and a sauce made from the meatloaf drippings, and your favorite veggie.

This recipe also make good meatballs to be served over a rice pilaf.

Ok. Your turn. Give us your best meatloaf recipe. Anybody ever make a cheese filled meatloaf, with little chunks of cheese?

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
My best meatloaf is a Danish one. Here's the link to the recipe: Danish Meatloaf

I hardly ever make it anymore. Stirling likes it enough that he learned to make it and it's usually him who makes it. :chef:
 
I make a stroganoff meatloaf that is divine, if time consuming to put together. It has a sour cream and mushroom filling, smothered with a brown gravy chock full of mushrooms and served over egg noodles.
 
My current favorite is a meatloaf made from a near eastern recipe for Luleh Kebabs modified to work as a meatloaf. The original recipe was handed down through our Armenian family and ended with me. I have made it as kebabs formed onto skewers, burgers and finally, meatloaf. I usually make the recipe into to two smaller meatloafs and freeze one for future meals.


LULEH MEATLOAF

1 Ea Large Onion, rough cut
½ C Parsley
2 tsp Salt
½ tsp Allspice
½ tsp Cumin
¼ tsp Black Pepper
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
⅓ C Tomato Sauce
1 Lb Ground Beef
1 Lb Ground Lamb
2 Lg Eggs
⅔ C Bread Crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Place the onion, parsley, salt, allspice, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper and tomato into a (mini) food processor and process to a mostly smooth consistency.

Place the processed ingredients into a large bowl along with all the remaining ingredients and thoroughly mix by hand.

Shape two meatloafs from the mixture. Wrap and freeze one for later use and place the other on a foil-lined quarter sheet pan and place it in the preheated oven. Cook to an internal temperature of 140ºF, about 45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and cover it loosely with foil to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

The meat mixture above can also be shaped as burgers or onto skewers as kebabs for grilling.
 
Here's another favorite I got from Old Blue, a member of this forum back in 2008. I don't get to make is as SO is not a fan. I have modified it to increase the amount of bacon.


BACON CHEESEBURGER MEATLOAF

1 Ea Onion, small
1 Ea Celery Stalk
¼ C Green Bell Pepper
¼ C Red Bell Pepper
1-2 Cl Garlic
3-4 Ea Scallions
2 Tb Parsley
2 Lb Ground Beef
½ C Italian Style Bread Crumbs
2 Lg Eggs
½ Tb Salt
½ Tb Black Pepper
2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Lb Bacon, cooked and crumbled



Process the veggies in a food processor to a near puree.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetables with the beef, bread crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Line a 10”x15” jelly roll pan with wax or parchment paper and press the meat into the pan to cover the entire pan bottom in an even layer.

Spread the cheese and bacon evenly over the meat, leaving a 1” border along the long edges of the pan.

Roll the meat in a jellyroll fashion to enclose the filling and form a 10” long pinwheel loaf. Seal the roll by pressing the seam together with your fingers. Press the meat together at the ends to close them and seal in the cheese. Discard the paper.

Position the roll in the jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done (internal temperature 145°F-150°F).

Remove the meatloaf to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Allow the loaf to rest for at least 20 minutes. If sliced right away, the cheese will run out of the slices.
 
I have too many meatloaf recipes to share. As a matter of fact I have a separate section in my recipe file that is devoted to nothing but meatloaf. Classic meatloaf, Italian meatloaf, taco meatloaf, etc.

Depending on our feelings, the meatloaf gets perpared.
 
My favorite is the “fancy meatloaf “ on The NY Times website. It calls for pancetta and does not use any ketchup. Very good.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012686-fancy-meatloaf?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share
 
A bunch of great looking meatloaf recipes so far. NO, it on;y takes time, and the ingredients to try them all:). DC has so many great cooks. All of you newbies to cooking, take note. We have everything from the best pancakes, to the best meatloaf, ot the best grilled cheese, and anything else you can imagine.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Ever do a meatloaf 'roll'? Very versatile, as you can roll up any ingredients you like into the meat. You just spread your usual meatloaf mixture into a rectangle on a large piece of wax paper, then add things like ham & cheese or a spread of mashed potatoes, etc. I like adding shredded carrots. Then you just roll it up, top it with whatever you would normally use (bacon, ketchup, etc.) and bake it.

An older concept, but it's still fun to do.

The best meatloaf I've ever had in my life was my mom's and, to this day, I still can't duplicate it. I can't duplicate her Thanksgiving stuffing, either. So I've pretty much given up on trying.

I made a meatloaf last weekend for Sunday dinner, in fact, and wow, it was a little on the dry side. I bought 90% lean Angus beef and there was just no moisture to it because it was so low in fat. It was still good, just dry.
 
Favorite meatloaf roll is layered with swiss cheese, sliced ham, spread with cream cheese mixed with horseradish and a layer of baby spinach. Serve with horseradish sauce.
 
Favorite meatloaf roll is layered with swiss cheese, sliced ham, spread with cream cheese mixed with horseradish and a layer of baby spinach. Serve with horseradish sauce.

Sounds delicious, minus the horseradish. Not a fan of that. But the swiss and ham and cream cheese, yum :yum:
 
Not a huge fan of Dijon, either, although I'd rather use Dijon than horseradish.

Use whatever you like that goes with the ham and swiss. I would try to avoid anything tomato based. Italian herb dressing mix would be good mixed into the cream cheese.
(hmmm...gong to try that next time, sounds good and different)
 
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Use whatever you like that goes with the ham and swiss. I would try to avoid anything tomato based. Italian herb dressing mix would be good mixed into the cream cheese.
(hmmm...gong to try that next time, sounds good and different)

Yes, if I use cheese of some sort, I don't normally add tomato sauces. Although I might drizzle on a little ketchup on top of the roll.

I really enjoy the shredded carrots in a meatloaf roll. Spinach is good, too.
 
Yes, if I use cheese of some sort, I don't normally add tomato sauces. Although I might drizzle on a little ketchup on top of the roll.

I really enjoy the shredded carrots in a meatloaf roll. Spinach is good, too.

I am Keto, so don't use carrots very much or ketchup, too sweet for my taste.

Most of my playing with food now is to make a favorite into something I can eat without messing up my Keto status. Just me to make happy:chef:
 
I am Keto, so don't use carrots very much or ketchup, too sweet for my taste.

Most of my playing with food now is to make a favorite into something I can eat without messing up my Keto status. Just me to make happy:chef:

That's the joy of cooking; experimenting with food and coming up with yummies to your personal tastes.

I love cooking :)
 
Ever do a meatloaf 'roll'? Very versatile, as you can roll up any ingredients you like into the meat. You just spread your usual meatloaf mixture into a rectangle on a large piece of wax paper, then add things like ham & cheese or a spread of mashed potatoes, etc. I like adding shredded carrots. Then you just roll it up, top it with whatever you would normally use (bacon, ketchup, etc.) and bake it.

An older concept, but it's still fun to do.
My Betty Crocker cookbook from 1981 has a recipe for that. It uses chopped broccoli and cheese (don't remember what kind). At this point, DH gets really disappointed if I suggest making my meatloaf a different way [emoji38]

I made a meatloaf last weekend for Sunday dinner, in fact, and wow, it was a little on the dry side. I bought 90% lean Angus beef and there was just no moisture to it because it was so low in fat. It was still good, just dry.
I always make meatloaf with a pound of ground beef - usually 80 or 85 percent - and half a pound of ground pork, for moisture and flavor. Milk, some kind of bread, crumbs, crackers, etc., and eggs help with the moisture and holding it together.
 
My Betty Crocker cookbook from 1981 has a recipe for that. It uses chopped broccoli and cheese (don't remember what kind). At this point, DH gets really disappointed if I suggest making my meatloaf a different way [emoji38]

Blech, I'd definitely be upset if someone put broccoli in my meatloaf :LOL:

But I get that. Growing up, my dad wouldn't let my mom change her meatloaf recipe. She tried something new once and my dad said "Please, honey, never do that again."

It was her classic meatloaf every time from that day forward. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I suppose.

I always make meatloaf with a pound of ground beef - usually 80 or 85 percent - and half a pound of ground pork, for moisture and flavor. Milk, some kind of bread, crumbs, crackers, etc., and eggs help with the moisture and holding it together.

I have, on occasion, used a 1/2 pound of ground pork. That does help with the texture. Everything else you do, I do as well. I'll remember not to use a ground meat with such low fat content next time.
 
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