Meatloaf (Beef, Pork, Sausage, Turkey or Chicken)

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Meatloaf are one of the easiest things to make. And versatile: they can be added to pasta like spaghetti, ziti or penne and spaghetti sauce for a meal, put in a sub roll as a sandwich, or eaten on their own with spaghetti sauce or a glaze! And this recipe is particularly healthy when meat with lean ground turkey or ground chicken. I make a batch or 20 meatloaf using 2 to 4 lbs of ground meat and freeze the extras for later.

Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's and your local grocery store all have ground beef, ground turkey and ground chicken year round.

Total time: about 40 minutes

Cooks for about: 20 minutes
Yield:

10 meatloaf (about the size of a golf ball) per pound of ground meat

Easy to make!

Ingredients

Loaf ingredients -  makes 2 loaves)

• 2 lbs ground meat (beef, turkey and or chicken, you can also mix them)  Some people like to add some italian sausage, too.
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (plain or with Italian seasoning)
• 2 medium sweet onions, finely diced (1/8 inch cubes)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1.5 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 can tomato sauce (12 oz)
• 2 eggs (3 if you are using ground turkey or ground chicken)

 

Bigger batch (makes 4 loaves, perfect to freeze, either cooked or uncooked, for later))

• 4 lbs ground meat (beef, turkey and or chicken)  I do 3 lbs of turkey, plus 1 lb of beef)
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs (plain or with Italian seasoning)
• 1 or 2 large sweet onions, finely diced (1/8 inch cubes)
• 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 4 eggs (6 if you are using ground turkey or ground chicken)

 

Sauce

Most people prefer extra sauce. This is for the small batch. Double it for the large batch

• 2 cans tomatoe sauce (12 oz each)
• 2 cans tomato paste (5.5 oz)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

 

Equipment

• 2 Oven loaf pans
• Cutting board, knife, large mixing bowl
• Sheet of aluminum foil
• Non-stick cooking spray, butter or coconut oil
• meat thermometer

Directions

Step 1 - Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2 - Dice the onions

Finely dice 2 onions.

Step 3 - Mix all of the loaf ingredients

Mix all of the loaf ingredients in a mixing bowl. Be sure to wash your hands afterwards as raw ground meats contain harmful bacteria.

Step 4 - Get your loaf pans ready

Line the cooking pan (with a sheet of aluminum foil and coat with your choice of oil, spray, butter, etc.This makes cleanup MUCH easier

Step 5 - Make the meatloaf

Make the meatloaf by hand, leaving about 1/2 inch (1 cm) around the sides of the pan

Step 6 - Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes

Then pour of the fat that accumulates aroun d the loaf and add the sauce over the meatloaf.

Step 7 - Finish baking until 170 F

I use a remote meat thermometer that beeps when the meat reaches 170 F. Most meats need to reach 165 F to be safe, I go the extra 5 degrees, size not all meatloaf may be the same size and done the same.

Step 8 - Serve or Freeze

Let them cool to serving or storing temperature for a 5 minutes, then either serve them or freeze them!