My irritable stressed bickering family turned to soft purring cats when I brought this out. I served it with a big loaf of crusty Italian bread and a salad. We ate well and drank wine. Thank you for this recipe! Saved my evening.
A Better Just About Anything. Add Tomato Sauce and Cheese.
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Not anyone's traditional meatloaf, but as a professional chef who works hard to de-mystify cooking for the non-professional and sometimes timid home cook, I say, "if it's easy and it tastes good, make it and enjoy." In this recipe, the provolone adds fat, which is necessary if the meatloaf contains beef that is too lean or too many breadcrumbs. Try it with finely diced lightly sauteed pancetta instead of the cheese. But cut down on the salt.
I am reminded of a recipe I believe to be in one of my favorite cookbooks (I have hundreds upon hundreds and can't find it at the moment), "We Called it Macaroni," a truly great collection of recipes and reminiscences of Nancy Verde Barr's upbringing in Providence RI's Italian-American community.
Make a meatloaf mix, spread it out in a big one=-and-a-half inch high rectangle on a piece of parchment paper, then top to within two inches of each edge with a mixture of sautéed onions and greens (anything), perhaps some mushrooms, some small-diced carrots, and some grated cheese of whatever type you'd like. Use the paper to roll up the loaf and pinch it closed on the bottom. Carefully press into an appropriate meatloaf shape, and bake at 325 until it's done.
Not too different from Mr. Tanis' recipe, but an easy wow.
One question. Why?
If I want meatloaf I want, primarily, the essence of roasted meat flavor, with minimal spices, a little egg, and bread crumbs (or torn up bread pieces) that merely, and subtly, enhance the main goal—not detract from it.
After reading cookbooks for over fifty years, nearly all meatloaf recipes I’ve found were for simple, “traditional” preparations, which pair well with simple sides like mashed potatoes and a vegetable or two. I think there’s a reason for this. A basic, classic meatloaf supper is one of our comfort foods that we revert to when we need to.
Boring? For some, perhaps. If you want, go ahead and “kick it up a notch.” Just don’t call it meatloaf.
Strong flavors like tomato sauce and cheese, which collide with and totally alter the taste (though delicious) are fine if, as one poster said, you want “a giant meatball.”
And if that’s what you want just call it “My Giant Flat Meatball-Loaf.”
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@ Luke Fort Kent
I think that the answer to your question had been given by Ecclesiastes (7:29), "God hath made man upright, but they sought many inventions". If the whole history of evolution of gastronomy does not reflect these words of Ecclesiastes, then it would be difficult to explain the complexity and variety of foods since the days of the cave-man to the present.
@Tuvw Xyz
I’ve no problem with variety and innovation, and my original post reflected that. In fact, I always alter the variations of the traditional recipe by excluding pork and veal. I find it makes the meatloaf too bland. Using beef only, plus a dash of Worcestershire, provides a more pronounced beefy flavor that I prefer.
So basically you made Meatball Parmesan with one big (misshaped) meatball. Looks tasty.
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I dislike meatloaf with any kind of red sauce on it especially ketchup. I agree with one of the other reviewers that said this looks like a giant meatball. I do not care for thyme in meatloaf either. My recipe is very simple. I just use a meat mixture of beef, pork, and veal to which I had eggs, breadcrumbs, cheddar cheese, and a finely chopped mixture of onions, peppers, & carrots. Last week when I made I felt ambitious and made a mushroom sauce for it. I do enjoy trying meatloaf in restaurants.
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1770 House meatloaf recipe. You'll never want any other variety.
Why would you want a better meatloaf? The NYT recipe for Bill Blass’ meatloaf is perfection!
This isn't meatloaf. It's a cross between a giant meatball and lasagna without the pasta. I agree that one can improve on the "standard" recipe but I use the marinara differently.
Whatever your recipe is for the proper moisture/dry ingredients ratio, take the amt of moisture you use and split it between your favorite marinara and Campbell's mushroom soup. Plus an egg, of course. I use Italian-seasoned bread crumbs rather than croutons so the texture is even. The onions are sauteed before adding, just to where they begin to soften. If I'm going to be feeding garlic hounds (or just myself), I roast a head of garlic, but not to the point of mushiness. Separate, peel and add them to the mix. A bit of dried basil and/or thyme, perhaps. The loaf is roasted on high heat with a meat thermometer. For a topping, the rest of the marinara, mushroom soup, more sauteed onions, and some sauteed mushrooms. Cheese? Never. I might try a bit of paremsan or asiago, next time, but not much.
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Mr. Tanis writes, "To this mixture, I added ... grated Parmesan, ... and cubes of provolone". I wonder how does a strong Parmesan go with the much milder provolone?
A link provided by the author to "How to Make Polpettone" inspired me to try and make that recipe. I shall probably skip mortadella, but add white mushrooms to it.
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I have tried many meatloaf recipes. The BEST recipe so far is Ina Garten's meatloaf recipe. She caramelizes onions and fresh thyme and then adds it to the meat. My variation is adding oatmeal and ketchup and then top with ketchup, brown sugar and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. A little beef broth around the bottom makes a nice gravy. Pour off the fat before serving. I use ground chuck.
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@Lorraine Fina Stevenski I like Ina’s recipe too, instead of ketchup I use BBQ sauce from our favorite BBQ joint. Delish!
@Mari--great idea. I make my own BBQ sauce but I buy Stubbs to keep in the pantry.
This sounds delicious, and I definitely plan to make it, but the bay leaves throw me. They would certainly add flavor, but even in a long-cooked stew, they end up leather-like and inedible, and it seems likely that would happen here, as well. They'd need to be removed before service, but that gets tricky when they're covered by sauce, cheese and bread crumbs. Rip 'em out after baking and it would seem presentation goes out the window. What am I missing?
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@WJ My mother never took bay leaves out of a dish; whoever got the bay leaf was served dessert first. These inedible, leathery leaves were like gold to my sisters and I.
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@paulcc58 What a lovely memory!
The best meatloaf I've ever tasted had none of the fillers except it was made with ground beef, egg, and bread crumbs and a half cup of applesauce. It's not cooked in a pan but "bare" on a sheet pan. Meatloaf cooked in a mold ends up being boiled in its fat and has a greasy taste. Meatloaf also often has a sour taste and the applesauce cures that. It should be wrapped in bacon to keep it moist.
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@Golem18
I understand your thinking about meatloaf being cooked in a mold that ends up boiling in its own fat, which is why I always use a meatloaf pan - the meat lays on an inner tray with holes which rests inside the pan, allowing all of the fat to dip into that inside pan. I think that invention ranks up there with the remote control and individual ice cream portions in the freezer section.
I do find the applesauce addition intriguing. I will give that whirl. Thanks for the tip.
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@ Golem18 Washington, DC & @ Marge Keller Midwest
I agree that it is much better to let the fat drain from the meatloaf in the process of cooking. There is something of a refined taste in humans who prefer meatloaf to hambutgers, large meatballs or Russian-style cutlets.
As I am writing this reply, my better half and SWITBO has must put a popettone into the oven -- alas, on a single baking tray. At my suggestion, little white marinated mushrooms from Poland were added to the meatloaf.
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@Marge Keller Hmmm. Never saw the meatloaf pan you mentioned. I'll have to find one - where did you get it?