From DN Recipes by David Nagy · Food & Beverage

Dave's Best Meatloaf

Published


Ingredients
  • 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
  • ½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • ½ medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • 4 white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 2 ½ pounds ground chuck
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (or 2 tsp dry onion soup mix)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 6 ounces jack, mozzarella, or cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
  • 1 cup plain bread crumbs (or garlic flavored croutons)
Glaze Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce, or to taste
OR
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Dash Worcestershire sauce
- Dash hot pepper sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey

Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  2. Place carrot, celery, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until very finely chopped, almost to a purée. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add beef and cheese to the vegetables, along with Worcestershire sauce, egg, Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, tomato paste, and cayenne. Mix gently with a wooden spoon until ingredients are just combined. Sprinkle in bread crumbs and gently mix with your fingertips until just combined; don't overmix.
  4. Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven just until the meatloaf is hot, about 15 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, make your choice of glaze.
  7. Remove meatloaf from the oven. Spoon glaze on the top of the meatloaf, then pull a tiny bit glaze down the sides.
  8. Return to the oven, and bake to 160 degrees F.