Meatloaf Doesn’t Have to Cook With Ina Garten’s

For too long meatloaf has gotten the reputation as a boring dinner or worse, a grey mystery meat concoction to be avoided in cafeterias. Throw all that out the window because Ina Garten has three flavourful meatloaf recipes that are worth adding to your weeknight dinner rotation.

Meatloaf makes for a versatile recipe that can be enjoyed as a main, as leftovers on a sandwich, even on spaghetti or in a soup. With The Barefoot Contessa’s three best meatloaf recipes from her classic tried-and-true beef meatloaf to individual meatloaves to a turkey variation, there’s a meatloaf recipe for everyone’s taste buds.

Ina Garten’s Classic Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp good olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup canned chicken stock or broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 1/2 lbs ground chuck (81 percent lean)
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (recommended: Progresso)
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat add the Worcestershire sauce chicken stock and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl combine the ground chuck onion mixture bread crumbs and eggs and mix lightly with a fork. Don’t mash or the meatloaf will be dense. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven, under the meatloaf, will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot.

Ina Garten’s Turkey Meatloaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Yields: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
2 Tbsp good olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (1/2 tsp dried)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp tomato paste
5 lbs ground turkey breast
1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
3 extra-large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup ketchup

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.

3. Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160°F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.

Individual Meat Loaves

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Yields: 6 servings