Introduction

This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen, Meatloaf 

Meatloaf is a traditional dish with roots in Germany, Scandinavia, and Belgium, cousin to the Dutch meatball but no relation to Marvin "Bat out of hell" Lee Aday, aka the recording artist Meatloaf.  There are even early records in Rome of a dish made with chopped meat, bread, and wine. It's been around.

The meatloaf we know and love has its origins in scrapple, served by German-Americans in Pennsylvania since colonial times. Scrapple doesn't look appealing. I've never tried it, but it's quite popular in the state where we currently live. Maybe one day I will. One never knows, do one?

Meatloaf does appeal to me. So much so that I make it in many different ways. This is one of my faves. Despite its connection to the Depression era history in our country, there's nothing depressing about it, and few affordable meals are more comforting than a good meatloaf, mashed taters, and a veg. 

Funny family meatloaf story: when my maternal grandmother made meatloaf, she put a hard-boiled egg in the center. This was very common with loaves of meat made in Germany and Poland. She was German. Anyway, when my rents were still married, and she made the meatloaf, my father would always end up with a piece with the egg, complete with the shell. Only he would get the shell. Every. Single. Time. 

Let Mama Miche make your kitchen magic, let's eat.

Tools

• Knife

• Cutting board

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Large Mixing bowl

• Small mixing bowl

• Whisk

Ingredients

Makes 6-8 servings

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp oil 

• 1 large white onion (diced)

• 3 tbsp garlic cloves (minced)

• 2 lbs meatloaf mix (Note 1)

• 1/2 package cooked bacon (6 -8 slices) large crumbled (Note 2)

• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp ketchup

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 

• 2 tsp beef bouillon 

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 4 tbsp Twice Stolen Spice ™

• 2 tbsp Montreal steak season

• 1-2 slices uncooked bacon for top (optional)

  Meatloaf Glaze

• 1/4 cup ketchup

• 1 tbsp Twice Stolen Spice

• 1 tsp brown sugar

Directions

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 60 minutes

Prep

• Preheat oven to 375º F. 

• Grease the meatloaf pan with oil or oil spray.

• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter to hot pan.

• Cook finely diced onions for 4 or 5 minutes, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.

• Allow a few minutes for the mixture to cool.

• Add all the ingredients for the meatloaf (including onions and garlic) in a large mixing bowl until fully combined. 

• Press the meatloaf mixture into your prepared pan, lightly pressing down to ensure the top is even. (Note 3)

• Top with uncooked bacon slices, if desired.

• To make the meatloaf glaze, whisk the ingredients in a small mixing bowl until fully combined.

Cook

• Bake the meatloaf uncovered for 45 minutes. 

• Remove the loaf from the oven and brush the glaze over the top of the meatloaf.

• Return to oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until the center of the loaf has reached an internal temperature of 160 F.

• Allow the meatloaf to rest 5 to 10 minutes.

• Garnish with fresh chopped parsley (optional).

• Slice into 1 1/2 to 2-inch thick slices..

Notes:

1. Substitute 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb pork, ground chicken, or turkey.

2. I like making bacon in the air fryer. You can cook it however you like, but I suggest making it crispy, cooling & crumbling. I put it in the pan with the cooked and cooled onion, garlic, etc.

3. Mix with your hands (wear gloves if you want, but make sure they're food-grade and not knit). Dump everything in before fully mixing, but do not overwork the mixture or you'll end up with a less-than-ideal consistency. It will be dense and condensed.