Recipe

Food & Wine's No-apologies Meat Loaf Recipe

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Ingredients

Directions

Step #1 In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat.
Step #2 Add the onion, green pepper, celery, & thyme.
Step #3 Reduce the heat to low; cook covered, stirring one or twice, until the vegetables are very soft (about 20 mins).
Step #4 Remove from heat; cool to about room temp.
Step #5 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step #6 In a large bowl, mix cooked vegetables & beef.
Step #7 Add oats, eggs, salt, 1/3 c ketchup, & pepper; mix well.
Step #8 Spoon the meat mexture into a large shallow baking dish.
Step #9 Form the meat into a flat loaf about 2 inches high & smooth the top this with the back of a spoon.
Step #10 Spread the remaining 1/3 c ketchup over the loaf; arrange the bacon strips on top.
Step #11 Bake the meatloaf for 1 hr or until it is just cooked through & shows no trace of pink.
Step #12 (A thermometer will register 145 degrees in the center of the loaf.
Step #13 ) Let the meatloaf stand for about 10 mins before slicing & serving.
Step #14 NOTES: For my large family, I double the recipe & increase cooking time to approximately 1-1/2 hrs.
Step #15 A dash of Worcestershire sauce or Pick-A-Pepa kicks up the flavor nicely.
Step #16 You can also substitute turkey bacon, or omit the bacon & add a dash of liquid smoke.
Step #17 Using tomato paste on top of the meatloaf instead of ketchup adds a tangy flavor.
Enjoy the Food & Wine's No-Apologies Meat Loaf recipe