I voted brown gravy but it really depends on my mood that day. Brown gravy probably wins 60% of time.
That’s a rather tender subject. Another slice, anyone?
Pretty much, yes.
Mom used to lay strips of bacon over the top and then put a catsup based glaze over the top of that.
Me? I like to make mini meatloaves, and after cooking poach them in a red wine/onion sauce instead of a standard mushroom based Salisbury Steak gravy. I am allergic to shrooms.
I’ve made meatloaf a few times, but it always wound up with a livery taste (or some other off-taste that made it less appealing than other forms of ground beef).
If I could avoid that flavor I’d probably make it on a regular basis, because the idea is appealing, especially the brown gravy part.
I can’t believe that no-one has suggested my favourite - Pineapple glaze. It’s pretty similar to some of the glazes previously suggested, but has vinegar and crushed pineapple (and some ginger).
Now I want meatloaf. And I’ll make do with tomato sauce or brown gravy as needed.
Um, you lose. Go and hide your head in shame.
I said gravy because sometimes I do gravy. Mostly I don’t bother because my meatloaf is very juicy. I use a mix of brown and wild rice instead of breadcrumbs and I add Italian sausage and make a crust of parmasan. I usually serve it with haricort beans, a forkful of sauerkraut, and dill mustard as a relish. My mother put catsup on top as a glaze; her meatloaf was pretty traditional.
Google suggests that I am in pretty good company …
I also like pineapple on pizza. Sue me.
As for baking dishes, do any of you have the ones with the removable perforated bottom insert that’s designed to drain excess grease from the meatloaf? If so, how do you like it?
My recipe (OK, dad’s recipe that he probably got from a Lipton Onion Soup Mix box) uses two pounds of ground beef and one pound of ground pork (or veal). That’s a lot of meatloaf! I used to put a rack in a baking pan, rather than use a purpose-built pan. Lately I’ve just been using two loaf pans. Two smaller meatloafs (meatloaves?) cook faster than one big one, and the slices are more manageable. I don’t have a rack that fits into loaf pans, so I just let the grease collect. When they’re done, I remove them from the pans and slice them and put the leftovers into a container. Taking them out of the grease and slicing them on a separate plate lets most of the grease go away.
Tomato sauce is…OK. I’ll still eat it. But I prefer brown gravy since it’s a red meat dish. And like others have said, I like the gravy with the accompanying mashed potatoes.
The poll is missing an option. I would have chosen Paradise by the Dashboard Light.
But don’t ask me to eat that stuff. Had more than my fill when I was a kid.
Neither. But my meatloaf usually has some diced tomato. And cheddar cheese. But Chef Guy’s sauce could be a nice addition
I make the meatloaf with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, and don’t put any additional sauce on it at all.
Add rice and a fried egg, and you have loco moco.
Sorry to bump an older thread but I’ve got some updates. I made meatloaf twice since inspired by you folks. Both time, I mostly used Ina Garter’s recipe as a rough framework, though with some differences. I’ve been using a pork & chuck mix to her 100% beef and I’ve added diced bell pepper (red the first time, green last week) to the onion. I also skipped the stock. Otherwise, I followed the recipe pretty closely. Using fresh thyme is really nice.
The first time, I had enough for two full loaf pans (actually Pyrex). I glazed one in ketchup but with a little sriracha and the other was in plain yellow mustard. Each was very good but I’ll give the award to ketchup. Both glazes had a noticeable vinegar tang but the ketchup’s balanced sweetness won the day.
The second batch was enough for about 1 and 2/3 loaf pans. I used ketchup on the full pan and …thousand island dressing on the partial. I fully admit that drinking helped make that decision but the salad dressing has the sweet and vinegar of ketchup, plus some other things going on. It was ok, the flavor was good but I think the emulsification prevented it from melting down and coat like you’d expect a glaze to do. It might work better as a component instead of the primary glaze.
In any case, this thread helped with some meal planning, reawakened this meatloaf fan and that’s all I can ask. Meatloaf is awfully easy to make with the hardest part cleaning the loaf pans. I’ll probably try some canned gravy next time.
Do yourself a favor and up your game. Ditch the loaf pans and free-form the loaf on foil on a baking sheet. That way you get a nice crusty glaze over the entire loaf, not just on the top.
I do freeform when I cook it in the smoker. Start on foil till things firm up, then to a rack over a drip tray. The flavor’s got nowhere to hide! In this latest testing, I’m shooting for that traditional Norman Rockwell product.
It is entirely possible I make meatloaf again in the next week. It’s been on my mind and the sandwiches have been fantastic. I’ve been using a 6" sub or telera roll, slices of feta, jarred roast red pepper, raw onion and assorted condiment combinations of mustard, ketchup, mayo, sriracha, giardiniera.
Giardiniera. I never would have thought of that. Now my taste buds are demanding it! We still have half a jar of That Pickle Guy Minced Hot in the fridge. Just need to make a meatloaf. Maybe dinner Friday…