Food & Wine's No-Apologies Meatloaf Recipe - Food.com (2024)

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I use olive oil, can try half of each)
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 large celery rib, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 2 lbs lean ground beef, preferably sirloin
• ¹⁄₂ cup rolled oats
• ²⁄₃ cup ketchup
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt (I omit this)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons fresh ground pepper
• 3 slices bacon, halved crosswise

directions

• In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onion, green pepper, celery, and thyme. Reduce the heat to low; cook covered, stirring one or twice, until the vegetables are very soft (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350°F In a large bowl, combine cooked vegetables and beef. Add oats, 1/3 cup ketchup, eggs, salt, and pepper; mix well. Spoon the meat mixture into a large shallow baking dish. Form the meat into a flat loaf about 2 inches high and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Spread the remaining 1/3 cup ketchup over the loaf; arrange the bacon strips on top.
• Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour or until it is just cooked through and shows no trace of pink. (A thermometer will register 145°F in the center of the loaf). Let the meatloaf stand for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
• NOTES: For my large family, I double the recipe and increase cooking time to approximately 1-1/2 hours. A dash of Worcestershire sauce or Pick-A-Pepa kicks up the flavor nicely. You can also substitute turkey bacon, or omit the bacon and add a dash of liquid smoke. Using tomato paste on top of the meatloaf instead of ketchup adds a tangy flavor.