One of the classic signature dishes of America is meatloaf.
But why is it so popular?
Meatloaf was created to stretch the life of protein (usually pork or beef), often mixed with cornmeal or any starch-based ingredient, along with other leftovers, including vegetables.
Top it with ketchup when you heat it, and you have yourself a full meal.
The first record of a meatloaf recipe is in the 1870s. According to a food historian named Andrew Smith, the first recipe includes chopped cold meat, milk-soaked bread, eggs, salt, pepper, and onions.
This was a dish prepared for the winter and was widely known as a breakfast food.
Now that winter is coming up, it’s the perfect time to cook up some meatloaf.
Here are the ingredients for a one-pound meatloaf:
- 1 lb. Ground beef
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 1 Sleeve Saltine crackers
- 1 Egg
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped Onion
- Salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder to taste
First, beat the egg with a fork.
Then, pour in half of the barbecue sauce, ketchup, garlic, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Mix all ingredients until they are well blended.
Pour that mixture into the bowl of ground beef.
Add the crackers, onions, and bell peppers. At this point, mix everything well and carefully using a fork.
You don’t want to overmix it and mash it too much, or your meatloaf will become more solid or compact.
Once everything is evenly mixed, pile it in a cast-iron skillet.
You can also use a loaf pan if you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, or if what you have isn’t the correct size. Make sure to grease the pan before putting in the meatloaf mix.
Spread it out evenly and mash the top portion with a fork so you won’t have any weirdly burnt craters on top of your meatloaf. Cover the pan with foil.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to Becky, baking time depends on so many things like the fat content of your meat, the type of stove you have, and how much meatloaf you are cooking.
For this, you can bake it for 60-90 minutes.
Check on it from time to time and use a meat thermometer to check if it’s cooked.
If you think it’s cooked, take the pan out and spread the remaining barbecue sauce on top.
Put it back in the oven and bake it for another 10-15 minutes. Again, this depends on how much barbecue sauce you placed on top and how you like it cooked. Once it’s cooked according to your liking, take it out and let it cool.
Your meatloaf is ready to serve and is best paired with mashed potatoes.
You can also freeze the leftover meatloaf using a vacuum or Ziplock bag to preserve it for a few more weeks. You simply have to pop it right back in the oven or microwave it, and you have dinner ready in minutes.
Becky Walker discussed many substitutions you can make for this recipe.
Watch the full tutorial in the video below!
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