How to make meatloaf?

Question

I am 20 just recently got married, so the whole cooking thing is still new to me. My husband is a picky eater! He said he likes meatloaf, but I'm not sure how to make it. He doesn't like mushrooms and onions and all that stuff so, pretty much, which is the easy way to make meatloaf?

Answer 1

There are a lot of meatloaf recipes out there but basically it is meat with a binder (egg &/or breadcrumbs &/or crackers &/or cheese), some seasonings and maybe some veggies (celery, carrots) - then you bake it in the oven.
One hit I will give you is that you should lower fat meat so you don't have it sitting in a pool of grease.


Meatloaf Recipe
1 lb. hamburger
1 egg
1 pkg. saltines (crushed) ½ tsp. salt & pepper
1 clove of garlic (minced) 1 rib of celery (chopped)
dash of Worcestershire sauce ½ cup ketchup
Mix all ingredients and shape into a loaf.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
Drain out fat and put back in for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes
before slicing,then serve.
You can make a brown gravy to pour on it
or you can have ketchup instead.
http://www.portuguese-recipes.com/Meatloaf%20Recipe.htm

Here is something a bit different:
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with Mushroom Sauce
by Michael Bonacini
An entree for the discriminating palette
3 cups ground turkey breast
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 medium Spanish onion, finely diced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp freshly chopped thyme
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Splash of vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small frying pan over medium high heat, gently cook the diced onion and garlic in a splash of vegetable oil until soft and tender, about four or five minutes. Once cooked remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl, place the ground turkey, egg, milk and breadcrumbs. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Add the cooked and cooled onion and garlic, followed by the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and mix thoroughly. You may wish to fry a little of the mixture up in the pan to taste and check for seasoning.
4. Once satisfied that the seasoning is correct, divide the mixture into six or eight muffin piece sizes and place into a lightly oiled muffin pan. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F to 375F degrees for approximately 35 to 40 minutes.
5. Serves 6 to 8.

Mushroom Sauce
2 cups mushrooms of your choice, sliced and diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Madera (a type of wine)
1 tbsp butter
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, begin to sauté the mushrooms in a splash of olive oil, stirring and seasoning with salt and pepper.
2. Once the mushrooms begin to soften, add Madera and reduce by half.
3. Add the chicken broth and reduce by half.
4. Remove from heat, add the butter to enrich your sauce and serve.
http://www.cityline.ca/foodandentertaining/recipes/index.asp?articleID=2882&topicID=2&categoryID=131&categoryName=Poultry
:)

Answer 2

honey, i was in and am still in the same positon you are, i'm 24 and was 21 when i got married, i couldn't even boil water back then and found out that meatloaf is the easiest thing to make! this is my husbands favorite meatloaf recipe and it is SO easy, this also my favorite site to get recipes because i too am a novice cook, the site has great quick and easy recipes to start with, here is Brown Sugar Meatloaf
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped (either exclude it or just add a little onion powder for taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

You can leave onions out but my favorite meatloaf has:
1 pound each of ground beef/ground pork, 1/4 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs, one egg scrambled, 1/2 cup chopped green peppers, 1 tablespoon chopped garlic, 1/2 cup Durkins Chili sauce 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsely and don't forget the salt and pepper!
pre-heat oven to 350*F
Mix ingredients together in a large bowl.
Place in a loaf pan lined with aluminum foil.
Shape into a nice loaf shape.
Place on middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours.
If you have a meat/poultry thermometer(good thing to have in the kitchen) stick it into the middle of the loaf and when it reads about 160*F.
In the last 30 minutes you can spoon some more Durkins sauce on top.
Of course you can substitute ingredients for things he/you like as well.

Answer 5

If your husband is picky but he likes meatloaf, meet your new best friend. A meat loaf is simply that. All you need to do is buy ground beef, chicken, or pork, and add diced vegetables(carrots/onions/garlic/peas/potatoe) Any veggie is fine 'to trick him into eating them'. Mix the raw meat and veggies together with a raw egg to bind everything together. Some people add small bread bits. Also you can add some spices like Worchester, basil, thyme...anything really. You can't really muck it up. It will basically look like a giant dinasour dropping....place it into a bread tin, or a glass pyrex bowl and cover with foil. Stick it into a pre-heated oven at 400C for 45mins - hour....((Invest in an internal thermometer!!!)) Your loaf will be done when the internal temp has been 71C for at least 15 mins, and the juices run clear.

Answer 6

I'm not a fan of meatloaf but I love this one.
Combine
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
1/2 cup crushed cracker crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 beaten egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Mix well and form into one loaf or two small loaves
SAUCE
combine 1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon bbq sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Mix well and pour over meatloaf. Cover with foil and bake in a 350* oven for 1 1/2 hr.

Answer 7

I will give you the whole recipe I use and then you can leave out the onions, although you really can't taste them once they have been cooked.

1 lb. ground chuck
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
salt and pepper
1 egg
crushed crackers
1 small can tomato sauce

mix everything together, don't get it too dry. Don't use all of the tomato sauce because you want a little left over to pour over it just before you take it out of the oven.
After you mix everything, then put in a baking dish, shape it and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 45-60 minutes.

Answer 8

ingredients:
2 lb meatloaf mix (beef, pork, and veal)
1 cup cooked oatmeal
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chili sauce (ketchup-based)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix together all ingredients except chili sauce using your hands. Transfer mixture to a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish and mound into a 10- by 5-inch oval loaf. Spread chili sauce over meatloaf and bake 1 hour.

Makes 6 servings.

Answer 9

This is hands down the best meatloaf we've ever made. The key to chop the veggies finely -use a food processor. The smaller the bits the harder to identify the less he'll balk. Alton suggests that you have the loaf standing in a sheet pan. This keeps the grease away from the meat. -Good tip!

BTW, the sauce is spicy. So adjust to your taste.

Good luck

Answer 10

Classic Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 egg
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Topping
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Procedure:

Heat oven to 350°F. Measure 1/4 cup tomato sauce, combine with topping ingredients in small bowl.

Set aside.

Combine remaining tomato sauce with remaining meatloaf ingredients in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly.

Shape beef mixture into 8 x 4-1/2-inch loaf on rack in broiler pan. Spread topping over meatloaf.

Bake in 350°F oven 1 hour to medium (160°F) doneness, until not pink in center and juices show no pink color.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into slices.