Meatloaf that will rock your world!
I love meatloaf. But so many times, the loaf is so dry and the sauce is just meh. Not this meatloaf. This meatloaf is juicy and moist. The sauce is savory and sweet. My husband Doug had a cousin Judy that was one of the nicest people in the world! And in addition to that, she had an awesome recipe for meatloaf. I took her recipe and tweaked it some and here is the result.
I am using ground beef and ground pork for this meatloaf. I like what the ground pork does for the beef. Increases the flavor and the moisture. You replace the beef with turkey or chicken and works as well. When I have made it with turkey, I added the pork. Ground turkey can be a little bland and I found out the pork brighten up the mix and turned out perfect. But then, I love pork, so anything with pork is a winner in my eyes!!
Onions and peppers into a meatloaf are not very common. But that is the beauty of this recipe. The addition of the onions and the peppers improves the moisture and makes the meatloaf juicy. I also like to season the meat with some of the ingredients in the sauce, the flavors will spread not only on the top but in the inside too. When you using breadcrumbs, you can use Italian, regular or gluten-free, really doesn’t make much of a difference. I have also used panko crumbs and no difference. I have made it with cooked quinoa and I like it the best. For me anyways. It holds everything together and adds a little texture that I really liked. So you have choices.
When you finish baking your meatloaf, there is going to be some juice at the bottom of the mold. Do not throw it out!!!! You want to put some of that juice on top of the slices of meatloaf when you serve it. It extra flavor you don’t want to remove.
Ingredients
Loaf
- 1.5 lb ground Beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 cup onion
- ½ cup green peppers
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 Cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp beef bouillon
- 2 eggs
Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1.5 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp water
- 1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Loaf
-
Mix all loaf ingredients together & form meatloaf in 9" x 13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
Sauce
-
Mix all the sauce ingredients and pour over loaf. Bake an additional 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serve.
