Meat loaf has been part of family meals since a very long time. It is made by mixing meats, some starch, eggs and some seasonings. It is very economical and can be flavored in various ways that render a savory taste to the dish. A lot of healthy, inexpensive food items can be added to it. Even leftovers can be included in a meat loaf and this is the reason why meat loaf recipes vary from region to region as well as family to family. One more impressive and beneficial thing about meat loaf is that it can be microwaved or baked in the oven. Making meat loaf is very easy and does not require a lot of preparation. Here’s a simple recipe of preparing meat loaf. Go for it and charm your family and guests with your culinary art. Read on.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 1 hour 40 minutes
Resources Required:
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2/3 cup dry bread crumbs or 2 cups soft bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup onion
- 2 tablespoons sliced parsley
- Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf sage
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1-1/2 pounds ground lamb, beef or pork
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions:
- Mix milk and egg: You will have to beat the egg and then mix milk in it. Put egg and milk in a bowl and mix it well.
- Mix other ingredients in the egg-milk mixture: Chop the onions. In the egg milk mixture you have prepared, add pepper, onion , bread crumbs, parsley, sage and salt in it.
- Add ground meat: In the mixture of all the above ingredients, add the ground meat. Mix it well with the mixture.
- Pat the mixture into loaf form: Take the mixture and loosely form it into a loaf-like shape. This can be achieved by pressing the mixture in 8x4x2-inch loaf pan.
- Bake the mixture: You will have to bake the mixture for one hour or one hour fifteen minutes at 350 degree F. Keep baking till the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
- Prepare spread: Combine brown sugar, ketchup and mustard in a bowl and spread it over the meat. Again bake it for 10 minutes.
- Cut the meat loaf: After letting the baked meat loaf stand for 10 minutes, cut it into slices. Your meat loaf is ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What can I do with leftover meat loaves?
Crumble meat loaf with beef broth. Then add veggies and potatoes. For 1 hour, simmer and you will get another meal . You can also put the sliced meat loaf in sandwiches.
Quick Tips:
- For each 1 pound of meat, you can add 1/4 cup of wine, tomato juice or broth. This will bring more flavor to the meat loaf and will make it more juicy.
- You can put mashed potatoes and topping with cheese to the meat loaf and make it more tasty.
Things To Watch Out For:
- When you mix meat, do it lightly with your hands. If it is over-mixed the meat loaf might become dry and tough. This is one of the most common mistakes people make, so you must avoid it.
- You can also try molding the loaf with your hands and put it on the cookie sheet. This way, the meat loaf will bake faster.
- Add lots of bread crumbs (binder) while making ground turkey or chicken meatloaf; otherwise, the loaf will become too compact and heavy.
