Here’s links to the past ‘Best Of’ Stagetecture years:

Best of 2015 – No 4 – Easy Meatloaf Recipe

Craving for a warming, autumn-inspired meal? Here is a classic meatloaf recipe that is just perfect for cooler weather evenings. Serve it with simple mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes for a hearty, satisfying meal it will give your usual chicken recipe a run for it’s money! The only secret to get it right is very finely chopped vegetables that will give it its due moisture and flavor. We point you the recipe.

Image via: Martha Stewart

[ad#co-3]

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Yields: 10 servings

Meatloaf Ingredients

1 coarsely chopped carrot

1 coarsely chopped rib celery

½ coarsely chopped onion

½ coarsely chopped red bell pepper

4 coarsely chopped mushrooms

3 chopped garlic cloves

2 ½ pounds ground chuck

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1 teaspoon olive oil

Glaze Ingredients

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Hot pepper sauce to taste

Procedure

Image via: Betty Crocker

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place the carrot, onion, celery, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor, and pulse until very finely chopped, almost to puree. Put the minced vegetables into a large mixing bowl, and mix in ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, and egg. Add salt, black pepper, Italian herbs, and cayenne pepper. Using a wooden spoon mix gently to incorporate vegetables and egg into the meat. Pour in bread crumbs. With gently mix bread crumbs until combined.
3. Form the meatloaf into a ball. Pour olive oil into a baking dish and place the meat of ball onto the dish. Now shape it into a loaf, about 4 inches high by 6 inches across.
4. Bake in a preheated oven just until meatloaf is hot about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce. Stir until brown sugar gets dissolved.
6. Remove meatloaf from oven. With back of the spoon, smooth the glaze onto the top of the meatloaf. Then pull a little bit of glaze down the sides of the meatloaf with the back of the spoon.
7. Return meatloaf back to oven and bake until the loaf is no longer pink inside and glaze has baked onto the loaf, approx 30-40 minutes. Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the loaf which should read at least 70 degrees C. cooking time will depend on the thickness and shape off the meatloaf.

This classic meatloaf tastes so good that you might want to double the recipe so that everyone can enjoy second servings. However, still if there are any leftovers, simply chill and reheat. The slices also taste good in sandwiches as well.

Please share with us your best meatloaf recipe!

Check back throughout the week to see the rest of Stagetecture’s Best Of for 2015 posts!