Rocky's Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients (topping): • 5 tablespoons yellow mustard • 5 oz. Worcestershire sauce • 1/4 cup brown sugar • 1/2 cup ketchup   Ingredients (vegetable filling): • 1 rib celery • 2 carrot • 1/2 onion • 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded • 4 white mushrooms • 2-3 cloves garlic Ingredients (meatloaf): • 2 lbs ground chuck (85%/15% or 80%/20%) • 1 packet onion soup mix • 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs • 1 egg • Salt/pepper to taste     Serves: 8

To prepare topping:

• Mix mustard, Worcestershire, brown sugar and ketchup until uniform

 

 

To prepare vegetable filler:

• Cut the carrot, celery, onion, red bell pepper, and white mushrooms into 1-inch pieces. Add to a food processor with the garlic, and pulse on and off until the vegetables are finely minced, but not quite a puree.

 

 

To prepare meatloaf:

• Mix ground beef, onion soup mix, egg, salt/pepper and vegetable filler by hand gently for about 1 minute to start to incorporate the ingredients. Add the breadcrumbs and mix until everything is just combined, and then STOP. Do not over-mix! Remember, we still have to form the mixture into a loaf, which requires additional handling.

• Using wet hands, form the meatloaf mixture into a loaf shape, about 6 inches wide, by about 3 to 4 inches high. Wet your hands again and smooth the surface so there are no cracks, which can cause a loss of moisture. Place in a non-stick loaf pan.

 

To cook meatloaf:

• Preheat oven to 325F (too hot ovens will reduce the cooking time, but tend to dry out the meat)

• Place meat thermometer in center of loaf

• Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered

• Pour topping mixture over loaf and sides

• Continue cooking for approximately 15 minutes or so until you reach an internal temperature of 155F

• Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.