Jan 13 2009
Works For Me Wednesday: Not Your Momma’s Meatloaf
I was never a fan of meatloaf, until I started playing with the recipe…now I love it and it is a staple in our house.
Now this isn’t the meatloaf from back in the day - the over mixed, over cooked, over dried meatloaf. Doused in ketchup in an attempt to add flavor….this is different.
My secret - I have fun with it and find new combinations of flavors, also key is how you mix up the meat. The biggest mistake when mixing meatloaf is over mixing and breaking up the meat too much - this is what gives it the dry crumbly texture. If you mix it just enough to combine the final product is yummy and juicy.
My other secret - I don’t have time to cook it for 45+ minutes…nope….I use a cupcake pan…..that’s right a cupcake pan. This makes little single serving size pieces, that cook in 15 minutes at 400 degrees. I will admit I stole this idea from Rachel Ray (although her idea was to make it into patties - I liked the single serving idea and just ran with what I had)
Favorite Flavor Combos:
BBQ Sauce, Mozarella (I might add bacon next time)
Italian spices, parmasean
Three Cheese Mix (whatever’s on hand really)
One other tip - if you want to make it healthy do half beef and half turkey - you can cut down on the fat but still keep the great taste.
Oh…and if you are wondering…that is my plate - with my boring salad….sometimes a girl just wants lettuce 
Check out Shanon at Rocks in My Dryer for more wonderful Works for Me Wednesday fun!!
what a great idea! I’ve got to see if I’ve got cupcake thingies in the oven drawer… I like the single serving concept! Of course, this way my hubby won’t get the “egg surprise” (putting two or three already hard-boiled eggs into the “loaf” before cooking) though…
Okay, the cupcake pan thing was GENIUS!!! I had to give up making my roma meat roll a few years ago because of the time it took and the mess it made…but cupcake pans? I might just have to try that.
Jen
I do what I call “Meatloaf Balls.” They are Italian-style meatloafs, cooked in the cupcake pans, and served with spaghetti. My husband does not like meatloaf at all (too many bad experiences with his mother’s cooking as a child), but he, and my son both love these.