On a rainy day, like today, I love preparing a hot meal for dinner that reminds me of my childhood. As my Mom used to say, "It sticks to your bones!" Tonight sounds like a good night for homemade meatloaf. My trick is something I have been doing for a while. I even made a previous post about it being a very good "Mom Hack." Hope you like it.
Preheat oven to 400 F
What you will need:
2 pounds of ground meat (I used grass fed organic beef)
2 organic eggs
1/2 cup chopped organic onion
1-8 oz can organic tomato sauce (I buy a case of this at Costco. Best price I have found!)
3 cloves minced organic garlic
1 cup breadcrumbs (See my Mom Hack below)
1/2 cup organic tomato sauce
salt, pepper, oregano, thyme to taste
Place your ground beef in a large bowl. You may also substitute ground turkey meat or ground chicken here if you prefer.
Add 2 eggs, onion, garlic, and tomato sauce.
Here is the Mom Hack!
I keep a large zip and seal bag in my freezer where I collect the heels of my bread loaves every time, I finish a loaf. These are what I used to turn into breadcrumbs for my meatloaf, meatballs, or any other recipe that calls for it. Here's how you do it.
Toast 4-6 slices of bread in the toaster. I usually put them through twice, so they get really crispy. Then put them in your Magic bullet, or blender. There you go: Breadcrumbs!
Add breadcrumbs to your bowl. Sprinkle in the spices as you see fit. Mix well. Adding breadcrumbs is a really simple way to add fiber to your meatloaf, and it also helps the loaf bind.
Since I am not a fan of touching raw egg and raw meat, I like to mash it with either a potato masher or two spatulas. This works just the same. Then I won't get nail polish chips in my food, and it saves my manicure!
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and flip your meatloaf on top.
When I do mine, it looks like a football.
I prefer this method much better than using a loaf pan. It cooks a little more evenly and allows more surface area to crisp up into that crunchy goodness. My husband and son both want the heel since it is the crispiest!
Bake at 400 F for 45 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. I use my trusty digital instant-read thermometer. #ad
Once done, remove from oven and "let it rest'" (as they say on the Food Network) for about 10 minutes before cutting.
Pete's Culinary Tip (my husband): Use a serrated bread knife to cut it. It grips better and gives you nice clean slices. #ad
Serve it up with a side of rice, mashed potatoes or anything yummy. Hope you enjoy this recipe and get all the tools I mentioned below. Happy Cooking!
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