Classic Meatloaf
Meatloaf has become an annual tradition on Italicious. I’ve been mixing it up for the past two years, creating new recipes and steering clear of the classic recipe with ketchup, but in the past few weeks I’ve started to become nostalgic for the foods of my youth and classic American food. I know that I will be able to easily make a meatloaf in Puglia, you can find ketchup just about anywhere, but it is the idea of it all that is making me nostalgic. Cheeseburgers, bbq, meatloaf, shrimp and grits and of course collard greens, tacos, bagels, cheddar cheese, the list is a long one. I may miss a few of these immensely, I know my daughter will miss her standard cinnamon-raisin bagel, but I promise you I will not go hungry. I probably won’t even think about 3/4 of this list while I am eating fish which had been swimming in the sea hours before I am putting it in my mouth, freshly baked breads and delicious homemade pasta. For this meatloaf recipe I didn’t get experimental, I went to the trusty Joy of Cooking and pulled out the ketchup bottle. With mashed potatoes and a green salad, it was the perfect meal for these cold winter days.
Classic Meat Loaf
adapted from the Joy of Cooking
Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine in a large bowl:
- 12 oz. ground beef chuck & 12 ounces ground beef round (I used 1 lb of beef chuck and 2 veggie burgers, it worked well!)
- 1½ cups finely chopped onions
- 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
- 2/3 cup ketchup
- 2/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Knead the mixture with your hands until everything is well blended. Do not overmix.
Drizzle the olive oil in a baking pan and make your meatloaf by creating a little mound in the center of the pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour. Pour off the excess fat and let stand for 15 minutes.
One Year Ago: Brasato alla Birra
Two Years Ago: Swedish Meatballs
Three Years Ago: Cotolleta alla Milanese & Polpo alla Luciana
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