Help. How can you make a meatloaf that doesn't taste like

[Fire1]

dressed up hamburger???? I use the BASIC ingredients of onions, bell pepper and put tomato sauce on top. I've even added worscheshire sauce for 'zip.' It still tastes like fancy hamburger.

[troubleinwinter]

1. I dunno...

I use onions, lotsa celery, and LOTS of parsley. Parsley seems to give it a bright fresh taste.

[Fire1]

11. Thank you.

[cbayer]

2. Have you tried ground pork with the ground meat.

Also, I think adding bread crumbs gives it more a a "loafy" texture and that distinguishes it from plan hamburger.

:hi:

[Fire1]

7. Thank you. Never mixed it with ground pork. I'll give it a try

for tomorrows dinner.:hi:

[Mojorabbit]

31. I use italian sausage in mine

sometimes. Then it tastes like a big meatball! :9

[htuttle]

3. I make a honey mustard turkey meatloaf that doesn't taste like hamburger

Doesn't really taste like turkey burger, either.

I add chopped onions, garlic, ground mustard, basil, onion powder and black pepper to the meat (plus breadcrumbs and an egg), glaze with a honey/dijon sauce (twice) and then top with chopped green onions in the last 5 minutes.

[The empressof all]

4. You need bread crumbs and ground pork

I also add some egg to help bind it together. It really tastes different depending on the seasonings and the addition of pork also adds great flavor. I always use Progresso Italian Crumbs in my loaf just because that's what my mother did. I'm sure you can get great results using homemade crumbs with garlic, lots of parsley, Italian seasonings and salt and pepper. I also sometimes add a bit of milk to my loaf for a bit of a softer texture.

[Fire1]

8. I've never tried pork mixed in but I do use Progresso bread

crumbs and the egg for binding. I think the pork will be a welcome addition. I'll try it for tomorrows dinner. Thank you so much.:hi:

[Vinca]

5. I saute onions and red and green bell peppers before I chop them up

and throw them in. I also add Italian bread crumbs and parmesan cheese along with an egg and a little ketchup. Sometimes if I have an eggplant on hand I'll cube it, steam it till just soft and throw some of that in for moisture. I season it with basil, a little garlic powder and salt and pepper.

[Fire1]

9. Wow. Eggplant and parmesan cheese! That sounds yummy.

Going to bookmark this thread. Thank you!:9

[hippywife]

6. I mix mine like I do my meatballs.

I use an egg per each lb. of ground beef, mix in some salt, pepper, garlic, and parmesan cheese instead of bread crumbs. I also mix some tomato paste and basil into it. Then I spread the rest of the tomato paste on the top of the loaf and sprinkle with more basil.

[Fire1]

10. I never thought of adding basil. Thank you. Will try tomorrow.

:hi:

[elleng]

12. Line the pan with and cover the top with bacon

(thanks to James Beard.)

[Fire1]

15. Thank you. This sounds like the equivalent to adding pork.

Going to try it tomorrow.:hi:

[elleng]

16. Not, I would say;

BACON's distinct smokey flavor/aroma is quite distinct from just ole PORK!

[Fire1]

19. Come to think of it, you're right. What about the fat from the

bacon? I'm thinking of using ground round. That will be perfect.

[elleng]

20. You should be able to pour it or siphon it off

(or buy the expensive brand, and cut it off before.)

[Tangerine LaBamba]

25. And, when you're fixing meatloaf sandwiches -

which, around here, was the only reason for making meatloaf in the first place - you MUST use this:

[Fire1]

34. Thank you. This really looks good. I hope it can be found at

Kroger or our local Hiller's mkt.

[Tab]

13. Soak bread in milk, mix that in with the meat

Italian bread crumbs to taste, as well as parsley, salt, pepper, whatever other spices.

The bread in milk shredded and mixed in will help keep it moist.

Italian parsley for flavor

whatever else you can think of - some barbecue sauce maybe? Onions if you like them. Lots of possibilities.

[Fire1]

14. Thanks. Good moisture tip. Will keep in mind.

:hi:

[grasswire]

17. I use oatmeal...

...which gives it a nutty taste, and onion, poultry seasoning, milk, eggs, salt & pepper. The sauce is catsup, brown sugar, nutmeg and a squirt of mustard. It's a Sunset magazine recipe from the 1970s, and it's the definition of meatloaf around here.

[Fire1]

18. Poultry seasoning. Now, that's a new one for me. I like the

sound of oatmeal, too. That sauce sounds great. Very close to barbeque sauce. Think I'll give it a try. Thank you.:9

[grasswire]

24. the poultry seasoning...

...is mostly sage. Probably sage, rosemary and thyme, all pulverized together. It's a nice touch in meatloaf, I think.

[csziggy]

26. Same here - meatloaf just isn't "right" without the oatmeal!

And I get the bonus of being able to pretend that the oatmeal in the meatloaf somehow negates the saturated fat in the ground beef.

My recipe for meatloaf changes every time I make it. Ground beef, oatmeal, catsup, A-1, worcestershire or BBQ sauce or whatever seasonings I feel like, or that is low in the bottle that I want to use up. Usually a pack of onion soup mix or some other dried soup mix I have in the pantry. An egg or two as a binder. A splosh of something flavorful on the top.

[Phentex]

28. sounds like mine....

a little of this, a little of that. Sometimes oatmeal, sometimes bread crumbs. My kids prefer a sweet, catsupy topping. Nobody has complained so far!

[csziggy]

30. Stew and meatloaf were designed to use up odds and ends!

The worst versions of each were the ones I made from recipes without adding stuff. And the most boring cooking are the ones where the dishes are made exactly the same every single time. ;-)

[AwakeAtLast]

21. Here's a family recipe

1 1/4 ground meat of choice - I use ground chuck
16-20 saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 to 1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 T onion powder
1 t poultry seasoning
1/4 C milk
1 egg
3 T A-1 or other steak sauce

Mix all together. Shape into loaf. Cover with your choice of sauce (we use straight tomato paste, but you may prefer something else). Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. It's the only meatloaf my husband will eat.

[NMDemDist2]

22. here's my recipe

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/AZDemDist6/5

[Warpy]

23. I used to make mine fairly plain

ground burger (beef, turkey, or a combo), coarsely chopped onion, lots of black pepper, lots of Progresso seasoned bread crumbs with cheese, and an egg. It never tasted like hamburgers. It tasted like meatloaf. No matter what else I added to it, it was still resolutely meatloaf.

First night: loaf and mash. Second night, loaf and tomato sauce. Rest of the week: loaf sandwiches.

I haven't had it in years but I can still sort of taste it in the back of my throat as I type this.

[LaydeeBug]

27. Mix equal parts ground round, ground pork, and ground sausage...

ad to it onions to taste, celery and carrots that have been food processed, some garlic, salt, pepper sweet bell peppers (not in the food processor with those though) You can also use ground veal as a substitute, or in addition to one of the three meats I've listed.

Instead of your tomato sauce on top, jazz it up by making a tomato relish instead. It's SUPER easy...Start a pan with some extra virgin olive oil, and saute some onions and some of the sweet bell peppers with a bit of salt and pepper. Add to it a can of tomatoes, garlic, a few dashes of worchestershire sauce, and a little ketchup (yep KETCHUP). Oh, I almost forgot...BOTH of your mixes, the meatloaf mix and the relish need to have a LOT of THYME. Ok, don't go completely crazy and use a whole bottle or anything, but use a good sum. Keep tasting your relish as you go, and add whatever you think it needs.

When your relish is done, cool it in the fridge (you don't wanna add any of it to your meatloaf mix if it is too hot, because it will start to cook the meat, and then it won't stay together as a loaf). When it is cooled, add a bit of it to your meat mixture and form a loaf. I cook mine in the oven at 375 with bacon strips on top. In the final ten minutes (or as close as I can gauge) I make sure the bacon is browned and turn the broiler on a few if it's not and then I add some more of the relish on top.

TRUST me. My meatloaf is by far the thing my friends and family request I make the most.

[Callalily]

29. Yes, meatloaf can be tricky and

one must get a little creative so it does not taste like the standard type meatloaf.

I made the most fabulous meatloaf the other week. Here's the recipe.

Meat Loaf

¼ tsp oil
¼ tsp chopped garlic
¼ cup each finely diced carrots, red pepper, celery and onion
1 lb lean ground beef
¼ cup shredded Parmesan
¼ cup chicken broth
1 large egg
1 cup cooked brown lentils
2 cups packed spinach leaves, steamed, drained and chopped
Salt & pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and all vegetables except spinach and sauté for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, break up beef well with your hands. Stir in cooked vegetables, Parmesan, broth and egg. Add lentils and mix. Add spinach and mix again. Season with salt and pepper.

Coat a 3 by 8 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place meat mixture in pan and push down. Bake 35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140. Let meatloaf rest in pan for 15 minutes before slicing.


And here's a not-so-good picture.

[Inchworm]

32. Not like da meat der loafer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXjjaoKo34o

:D

[Tesha]

33. A can of tomato soup...

my mom's secret, half mixed in - half spread on top.

but first... add

crustless bread soaked in milk then squeezed out a bit

an egg, some mustard, dried onion

and your choice of spices for the day - have fun!

[Fire1]

35. Thank you all for coming to my rescue. I took a little from

every recipe (including ground pork and bacon) and it turned out marvelous! The best I've ever made. I don't think I'm going to have left overs for sandwiches, but that's fine by me.:loveya: