Simple Meatloaf

I know due to COVID-19 a lot of us are bored and have to cook at home! Here is an easy recipe to get you through these tough times! If you want to taste the world, then what better way than through cooking!

Do you love meat? I know I do. Well if you do, I'm sure you've heard of or tried meatloaf. Everyone has their own way of making it, but there are limitless ways to make this dish. Meatloaf became a popular dish during the great depression and originated in Europe. It started gaining some popularity in the US during the 19th century and millions of variations developed off of it. I offer you one here so you don't have to choose yourself. Or if you're really inclined, use this recipe as a template for your own masterpiece! Want a more spicy flavour, or a more savoury one? You do YOU!

Overall meatloaf is a great dish for large crowds or if you know you won't have time to cook for a week. There will be a lot of leftovers. Trust me.

I find that meatloaf can sometimes end up being quite dry. However, there are a number of ways to solve that issue. Covering it while cooking, covering it with sauce, OR filling it with ingredients that retain or enhance moisture such as cheese, or vegetables. I prefer to add vegetables and cover with sauce. This just adds some texture changes to the loaf itself and ensures I end up eating my veggies. Honestly, I will probably neglect making or eating vegetables if I didn't cook it in.

Time to Cook: 1.5 hrs (Can be sped up with food processor)

Yields: Enough for at least 8 people (big eaters)

Utensils:

1. 8x11 Deep Dish loaf pan or something like that. Or half the recipe and use a 4x8 or 5x9.

2. Pan with lid

3. Knife and Cutting Board OR Food Processor

4. Large Mixing Bowl

5. Spatula

6. Cooking gloves (Optional)

7. Oven Mits

8. Oven

9. Peeler

Ingredients:

1. 4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2. 2 Medium Onions (Finely Chopped)

3. 4 celery Stalks, finely chopped

4. 4 carrots, finely chopped

5. 1/2 cup finely chopped green onion

6. 1 whole garlic, minced

7. 5 teaspoons of salt

8. 5 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper

9. 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

10. 1 cup ketchup, divided 1/2 and 1/2

11. 3 pounds of ground beef

12. 2 cups of bread crumbs

13. 4 large eggs, beaten slightly

14. 1/3 cup minced parsley/Cilantro

Instructions: (Refer to Pictures below)

1. Preheat oven to 350F, with a rack placed in the middle of the oven.

2. Prep your veggies and cut them up nice and fine! Use a food processor to reduce prep time. (refer to pictures below to scale)

3. Cook your veggies! Add the butter to your pan/skillet and melt over medium heat. Once the butter begins to bubble or foam, add the finely chopped garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and green onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, uncovered.

4. Cover the Pan and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until carrots are tender.

5. Add the salt and pepper, Worcestershire, and half a cup of ketchup until it look like the picture below. Cook for 1 more minute then remove from heat to cool.

3.

5.

MAKE THE MEATLOAF MIXTURE

6. Add your ground beef to a large mixing bowl. Along with it add the beaten eggs, breadcrumbs and parsley (Save some for garnish). Once the vegetables have been cooled to the touch, add that to the mixture as well. With a disposable glove, or your bare but clean hands, mix all the ingredients together until everything is distributed evenly. Add extra salt and pepper if you want a stronger flavour. You can also choose to add different spices at this stage as well. Some options include: Oregano, Italian spices, sriracha seasoning, cajun, etc.

7. Place your mixture into a loaf pan. (for this recipe a size of at least 8x10 is necessary) It does not need to fill to the top. Next step is to press the meat into the pan making nice and compact so that it can stand on its own later. Once it is compact and level, add the remaining the ketchup until it covers the top entirely. Add more if necessary.

8. Bake for about an hour at 350F, or until the rims of the meatloaf are a darker brown and the internal temperature at the centre of the meatloaf reads 155F (68.3 C). Remove from the oven and leave it for about 10 minutes to cool and set.

9. Once set you can cut it into individual pieces and serve! Leftovers can be placed individually into to go containers so you can grab it and go for your busy week!

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