All-Beef Meatloaf

09

I meal plan on Fridays. And every Thursday or Friday, I ask Tom what to add to the menu. And almost every Friday, I plan the whole menu  by myself, anyway, because he has no suggestions.

A couple weeks ago, though,  Tom did have a suggestion (a couple, in fact) and the first thing on the list? Meatloaf. I’m pretty sure I can say that I’ve never had, like, actual, real-deal meatloaf (let alone made one). I’ve made mini meatloaves once or twice, but I flavored them with Italian seasonings, stuffed them with cheese, and topped them with pasta sauce instead of ketchup – so, really, what I made were meatballs in a muffin tin.

If I had to make a list of unappealing foods, meatloaf would be pretty close to the top. It’s just, you know, shaped meat. Except unlike good shaped meats like meatballs and burgers, there’s really no sauce (or pasta!) or cheese and so, what’s the point? But, because I am the most awesome wife ever, I forged ahead and made my very first meatloaf. I felt very American, indeed.

This recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated so it should be no surprise that it’s sort of weird. You grate and freeze Monterey Jack cheese. You use gelatin. There is coriander involved.

I figured I would tolerate this meal, but in actuality I really, really liked it. The meatloaf stays incredibly moist, so it’s really not the brick of beef I’d imagined in my head. The glaze is great. It’s very similar to a barbecue sauce, without molasses. The use of coriander is really interesting and I liked it (though I will admit to not being the world’s biggest coriander fan, so I used a little less than the recipe called for). And I’m pretty sure the leftovers were even better. Zachary ate two slices on his own, and kept trying to take some off Tom’s plate at lunch the next day. So, I’d say this recipe is definitely (and somewhat surprisingly) family-approved.

All-Beef Meatloaf

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9 thoughts on “All-Beef Meatloaf

  1. I always love seeing just how weird CI recipes can get…and then just how awesome they are because of it! I never liked meatloaf even when I still ate meat, but I probably would have liked their version.

  2. Book marked! I have never made meatloaf, but this summer when my husband and I were staying at his BF’s house, he requested meatloaf. I searched for the best recipe and ended up just buying some meatloaf from costco! I will have to try the Cook’s frz cheese/gelatin version.

  3. i just made the mini meatloaves from the smitten kitchen cookbook on the weekend – they were delicious, as were the brown butter mashed potatoes that go with them. just in case you want to make meatloaf again…and don’t feel the need for frozen crumbled cheese or gelatin!

  4. I totally laughed at the comment about CI recipes being weird. But hey–whatever works, right? Congratulations on your first meatloaf, Miss America!

  5. I actually really like meatloaf (done well, of course) so I’m definitely going to give this one a try. I laughed out loud when you said that it was from Cook’s Illustrated so of course it’s a little weird. 🙂 So true.

  6. Sounds exactly like meal planning in my house. And, ironically, I made my first meatloaf last week too – but it was my idea! Unfortunately, though, I wasn’t as impressed with the recipe I chose (a cuban meatloaf from Eating Well) so I might be trying again soon.

  7. I’ll have to try this one – my husband LOVES meatloaf, but me? Not so much! And my husband is the same thing about meal planning – he offers no suggestions and then is like “we are having tacos again?” 😀

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