When you think of American comfort food, what dishes come to your mind?
Meatloaf?
That’s what I thought.
Meatloaf is pretty classic comfort food. Growing up, I think we can all admit we’ve had our fair share of good and bad meatloaves.
There’s always a secret ingredient that can make or break the meatloaf. In this recipe, I’ll share a few of my little secrets for my famous meatloaf.
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes Serving Size: 6
Medium Bowl
Ingredients
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Make the meatloaf: Beat an egg in a medium bowl. Add in 1/2 cup of milk and chicken stock concentrate and soak breadcrumbs. After 2 minutes, add the ground beef, brown sugar, shallot, diced tomatoes, half of the garlic, basil, and salt and pepper to the medium bowl. Mix together with your hands to combine. Don’t squish or excessively work the ground beef as it will become too dense. Form into 4 1-inch-thick loaves. Place onto an oiled baking sheet and cook for 30-45 minutes. By forming the meat into 4 smaller loaves, the cooking time is less as are the chances of ending up with an overcooked meatloaf.
Prepare the glaze: Now, there are a few options here so I didn’t include the ingredients above as to not confuse you.
Option 1. No glaze and add ketchup after meatloaf has cooled.
Option 2. Mix together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup apricot preserves, 3/4 cup ketchup, and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and spread evenly over the meatloaf about halfway through baking.
Option 3. Stir together 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chili flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth and spread over the meatloaf before baking.
Serve: Serve the meatloaf with traditional mashed potatoes or add some veggies for a healthier option and enjoy!
TIP: Buy pre-minced garlic and shallot to cut down on the prep time.
Bon appétit!
You can find more recipes under the “food & drink” category or follow my foodie account @JustCallMeChefJJ on Instagram for more recipe ideas & to see what I’m eating around the world!
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