When you are listing foods that you crave, I bet MEATLOAF doesn't place near the top, right? I mean, it's a fine meal, but it's not really anything special. It's just a familiar, cozy, delicious dinner that hits all the satisfying buttons. When I found this recipe for Meatloaf with Rosemary years ago, I knew it would be a go-to for a comforting and familiar dinner. I've adjusted the original recipe a bit here and there depending on food allergies and taste preferences, and it is always devoured chez nous!
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I start with the magic three … onions, carrots, and celery … and chop them in the food processor. You can also add the garlic to the food processor, but I usually chop it separately. The more garlic is pulverized, the more its pungency is noticed and in this recipe, I prefer it to play a second fiddle.
Tabasco sauce and some ketchup are great flavors to add. Eggs are necessary to as a binder, but they can be left out, too, if you are serving people with egg allergies, like my grandson. I usually put some of the meat and vegetable mixture in a smaller baking dish before I mix the eggs in. Or you could use a chia egg.
I use both ground beef AND pork along with chopped bacon. Lots of garlic brings so much flavor, too. Bread crumbs are included to help keep the meat together, but you can also use oatmeal or gluten-free bread crumbs.
PRO TIP for baking Meatloaf with Rosemary:
Meatloaf is typically baked in loaf pans or in casserole dishes, but I like to line a baking rack with parchment paper and set it on a baking sheet. This allows for more of a roasting rather than a baking because there's more meat exposed to the heat. When I was making it for this post, I was making dinner for another family as well as for our own so I doubled the recipe and made two separate loaves.
Before baking, I mix ketchup with Dijon mustard and coconut sugar (you could use brown sugar) and spread it on the meat, then top it with sautéed purple onions. After baking for 30 minutes, spread rosemary leaves on top and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
Be sure to let the Meatloaf with Rosemary rest a bit after you take it out of the oven. It will slice a bit easier!
I serve it with sautéed green beans and often with roasted potatoes, especially for Sunday Dinner.
Bon Appétit!
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Recipe
Meatloaf with Rosemary
Ingredients
- 3 slices of bread don’t use dried bread crumbs Gluten-free bread works well, too.
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 1 rib of celery strings removed, sliced
- ½ medium onion roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- ½ cup + 3 Tablespoons ketchup
- 4 ½ teaspoons Dijon divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce or to taste
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary plus more for sprinkling
- 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red onion cut into ¼-inch thick slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. When oil is hot, add the red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Remove crusts from bread, and place slices in the bowl of a food processor. Process until crumbs form, about 10 seconds. Put in large mixing bowl.
- Place carrot, celery, onion, and garlic in the food processor and process until vegetables have been minced, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the bread crumbs.
- Add ½ cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, ground beef and pork, eggs, salt, pepper, Tabasco, and rosemary. Use your hands to mix everything together.
- Set a wire baking rack into cookie sheet. Cut a 5x11 piece of parchment paper, and place over the center of the rack to prevent the meatloaf from falling through. Form an elongated loaf covering the parchment.
- Mix the remaining ketchup, mustard, and the brown sugar in a bowl, then spread on the meat. Spread the reserved sautéed onion on top of the meat.
- Bake 30 minutes, then sprinkle the rosemary needles on top. Continue baking until a meat thermometer registers 160°F, about 25 minutes more. Let meatloaf cool on the rack for 15 minutes before slicing.
Katie
Absolute perfection. That pretty much sums up this recipe! It's consistent every time I've made it and bonus, feeds a ton! Great work Tammy, this is a house favorite now 😉
Tammy Circeo
Thank you, Katie! I'm so glad you guys enjoy it! You can always half the recipe, or put half in the freezer for a rainy day!
Carolyn De Rusha
This is supper tonight. Only recipe I use for meatloaf now. It makes great meatloaf sandwiches. I divide it into 2 loaves and freeze one.
Tammy Circeo
That's the most efficient way to make this recipe! So glad you love it!