How to make Meatloaf: Meatloaf recipe and tips

MEATLOAF RECIPE: EASY STEPS
The delicious meatloaf is not made of ground beef alone. This dish can be just as tasty with ground pork, ground ham, ground chicken, ground turkey, and salmon flakes. The recipe below is my favourite, a moist, tasty meatloaf topped with a sweet glaze.

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb (680g) ground beef, 85% lean
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce, original
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, fresh coarsely ground
- 1/2 cup milk, whole
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Glaze
- 1 cup ketchup/tomato sauce
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp white vinegar

Step 1
Combine all ingredients for the glaze and mix well.
Step 2
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
Step 3
Brown onion and garlic in a saute pan with 1 TBSP oil in medium high heat stirring occassionally, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
Step 4
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the meatloaf, including the browned onion and garlic, and add 1/4 cup of the pre-mixed glaze. Mix quickly just to combine. Don't overwork the mixture or you'll get a compact loaf.
Step 5
Loosely form the mixture into a loaf-like shape and lightly press into a 9x5 loaf pan. Spread 1/4 cup of the glaze evenly on top of meatloaf. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour.
Step 6
Then switch the oven to grill for 2 minutes to brown the glaze. Make sure you have your fan turned on high as this may cause the oven to smoke.
Step 7
In the meantime, heat the remaining glaze sauce in a small saucepan on stovetop over low heat until simmer. Stir occasionally. Let simmer to reduce, about 5-8 minutes. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.
Step 8
Serve meatloaf hot with extra sauce on the side. Goes great with mashed potatoes and peas and carrots. Hope you enjoy!

This economical entree can be flavoured almost any way you can think of, it's easy to make, and it's delicious hot or cold. Here are some tips to help you make the best meatloaf.

MEATLOAF TIPS:
- Meatloaf consists of three basic ingredients: ground meat, a binder like bread crumbs or oatmeal, and liquid. Always soak the binder in the liquid before adding the meat so you don't end up with dry chunks of bread in your meatloaf.
- When you're making meatloaf from ground turkey or chicken, you must add lots of binder or the loaf will be too compact and heavy. For traditional meatloaf recipes, you can use all ground beef, or add ground pork to the mixture for a little lighter texture and a more interesting loaf.
- Adding other ingredients to meatloaf will help add moisture and flavour and make the texture lighter. Plus you'll get more vitamins and minerals in each serving! You can add mashed or grated carrots or potatoes, diced and cooked onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped mushrooms, cooked spinach, cheese, or sour cream. The meatloaf might not hold together as perfectly with these add-ins, but it will taste fabulous. And seasonings are so important.
- After the meatloaf is cooked, let the meatloaf sit for 15-20 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute, so the texture is juicy, tender, and just perfect throughout.
- I have not met a meatloaf that can't be frozen before or after cooking. Just thaw cooked and frozen meatloaf in the microwave for a fabulous dinner in minutes. If you freeze before cooking, don't thaw the meatloaf, put it in the oven, and bake 1-1/2 to 2 times longer than the original recipe recommendations.
- Very important! Don't handle the mixture too much. If you over mix the ground meat it will compact, squeezing liquid out during cooking, resulting in a tougher, drier loaf.



source: howtomakemeatloaf.com