the nest meatloaf

Photograph by The Culinary Nest

First of all, don’t judge this recipe by the 3 year old picture above. I will definitely be reshooting this one but I thought it was more important to get this savory delight to your fingertips. This is one of my most made recipes here in my nest. I have never, and WILL never, get sick of it.

The name “meatloaf” has always kinda thrown me off to be honest. Thinking of a loaf o’ meat just sounds well… not appetizing at all. BUT that’s a total misconception- it’s DELICIOUS!

I use a blend of meats to give it the tenderness it deserves, plenty of seasonings and spices, and I love mine topped with a ketchup sauce rather than gravy (because that’s how my daddy always made it).

I ALWAYS serve my Meatloaf with these Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, don’t skip it!

Recipe by: The Culinary Nest

MAKES

6-8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

for the loaf

1lb. ground beef (I like to do 80/20 for more fat content)

1lb. ground pork

2 eggs

3 slices white bread, torn into 1/2”-1” pieces

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 medium size onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

for the sauce

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoon brown sugar

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Spray a 2.5 quart casserole dish (or anything with higher edges that will fit the meatloaf with a little room around the edges) with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl using you hands, delicately mix together the beef, pork, eggs, torn bread, milk, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, seasoning salt, ground mustard, salt & pepper. Lightly mix until well combined.

3. Shape the meat mixture into a smooth oval shape and place into the casserole dish (about 3-4” thick). Top the loaf with a nice layer of ketchup sauce, saving any additional for garnish if desired.

4. Baking temp can vary. Begin by setting a 1 hour timer, check the internal temp, and it should read 165˚F. It may need another 15-30 minutes to finish baking. (You can also take a knife to the center and see if it is still pink in color, if so, it needs longer but also keep in mind that pork does not completely turn brown when cooked completely.)

5. Slice and enjoy with Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes!