At my house we love meatloaf. I usually just throw the ingredients in without measuring. But for you, my lovely blog readers, I made sure to measure and take notes. I think the key to a great meatloaf includes the following ingredients--homemade fresh bread crumbs, sauteed onion, oats, and wheat germ. Yes, wheat germ. You can add other ingredients too--cheddar cheese, garlic, parsley, mustard, etc. Go ahead and just throw this together with whatever suits your tastebuds...no need to be precise with your measurements. Just go for it!
Meatloaf 101
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup organic ketchup
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 small to medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (country wheat, french, or italian)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
olive oil
1 teaspoon minced organic dried onion (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Have a glass or ceramic loaf pan ready. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute until soft and slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly while you mix the rest of the ingredients. In a small bowl stir together the ketchup, vinegar, and brown sugar, set aside. Whisk egg and milk together, using a large fork, in a large bowl. Add half the ketchup mixture to the milk & egg. Add the bread crumbs, oats, wheat germ and salt & pepper and stir into the ketchup/milk mixture. Add the cooked onion and dried onion and stir together. Add the meat to this mixture and use your hands to combine all the ingredients. Transfer meat mixture to loaf pan and pat mixture into pan. Spoon the remaining ketchup mixture onto the meatloaf. Place into the oven and bake for 45 mintutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Pour any fat off before slicing. Enjoy!
