Meatloaf Recipe

Making one meatloaf for now and one for the freezer!

My husband, Adam, used to own a restaurant. The restaurant he owned was the restaurant he worked at all through high school and his first time at college. He’s since gone back a couple of different times to earn multiple degrees. And his favorite meatloaf recipe comes from the owners of that restaurant. He remembers it from when he was just a high schooler learning the ropes. After we got married and I had made meatloaf a few times, he called his friend who happens to be the son of those restaurant owners, and now has his own restaurant in town, to get this recipe. It’s the one I have used ever since. The only adjustment I make to this recipe is that I triple the Worcestershire Sauce it calls for, at my husband’s request. It’s a big deal for him to request a change to a recipe! Especially one from his beloved Martinez family!! So, when he does, I make it. Tonight I tried this recipe as meatballs.

We generally buy pre-made meatballs and then I just warm them in the cast iron skillet and cover them with BBQ sauce and a little water. I serve those with a vegetable of choice and mashed potatoes. You could also serve either the meatloaf itself or the meatballs with a loaf of Artisan Bread. My whole family really likes our pre-made meatballs, including me. I don’t however like the soy that is in the pre-made meatballs. I have made meatballs from scratch a few times before, but they have always seemed too dense. I got the idea of trying this meatloaf recipe as meatballs the last time I was mixing it up and my daughter was helping mash all the ingredients together and then just started rolling the mixture into balls. We went ahead and made the traditional loaf and froze another that time, but the idea to try it as meatballs stayed with me. My husband was less than excited tonight when he got home as I was finishing dinner and heard I was experimenting. BUT, he said the meatballs were pretty good.

I really liked how much lighter they were than the times I had made them with just meat. I did have trouble keeping them together during cooking. I’m wondering if it is best to make them up ahead of time and freeze them first to help with keeping them together. I am also thinking as I type this that it might be helpful to use a cookie scoop to get the meat into the balls because that would press the meat together more tightly. If you have any insights or suggestions please share them in the comments below.

Now on to the recipe of this hearty, home cooked dinner!

Meatloaf Recipe:

1 1/2 pounds Ground Beef

1 large Egg

1 8 ounce can Tomato Sauce (I have used ketchup multiple times when I haven’t had tomato sauce on hand. Okay, so maybe two changes to the recipe sometimes!!)

1/2 cup chopped Onion

1/2 tbsp garlic powder or minced garlic (I’ve used both)

3/4 cup Quick Oats

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (I use 3 tbsp in ours)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Meatloaf Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mash together until VERY well incorporated.

3. Place in a 2 quart casserole dish shaped into a loaf in the center of the dish

4. Bake for 45-60 minutes

5. Serve with mashed potatoes, favorite vegetable, artisan bread (or your family’s favorite sides)