Johns Meat Loaf Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S MEATBALL-INSPIRED MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion with a pinch of salt in hot oil and butter until onion is golden brown and soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat and cool onion mixture to room temperature.
• Place bread crumbs in a large bowl. Add milk and stir with a fork until combined. Let sit until all of the milk is absorbed into the breadcrumbs, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Combine ground chuck, cooled onion mixture, parsley, Parmesan cheese, eggs, 2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Grab a handful of breadcrumbs and squeeze very gently to remove excess milk. Repeat with remaining breadcrumbs, transfer breadcrumbs to ground chuck mixture, and discard excess milk. Stir ground chuck mixture until evenly combined.
• Turn chuck mixture out into prepared baking dish, and shape meat into a 3x4x10-inch meatloaf. Pour tomato sauce over the loaf and into the bottom of the dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

MR. JOHN'S MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, eggs, onion, breadcrumbs, bell pepper, cream, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and creole seasoning. Gently mix to combine (do not overmix).
• Place half of meat mixture on prepared sheet; form into a 9-by-4-inch loaf. Using a paring knife, remove casing from chorizo (keeping the shape intact). Place chorizo lengthwise down center of loaf. Cover with rest of meat mixture, enclosing the chorizo and patting to adhere.
• Brush chili sauce over meatloaf. Bake, basting occasionally with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in center of loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

GOOD EATS MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.
• Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.
• Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

CLASSIC MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the carrot, celery, onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor, and pulse until very finely chopped, almost to a puree. Place the minced vegetables into a large mixing bowl, and mix in ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, and egg. Add Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix gently with a wooden spoon to incorporate vegetables and egg into the meat. Pour in bread crumbs. With your hand, gently mix in the crumbs with your fingertips just until combined, about 1 minute.
• Form the meatloaf into a ball. Pour olive oil into a baking dish and place the ball of meat into the dish. Shape the ball into a loaf, about 4 inches high by 6 inches across.
• Bake in the preheated oven just until the meatloaf is hot, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, ketchup, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce. Stir until the brown sugar has dissolved.
• Remove the meatloaf from the oven. With the back of a spoon, smooth the glaze onto the top of the meatloaf, then pull a little bit of glaze down the sides of the meatloaf with the back of the spoon.
• Return meatloaf to oven, and bake until the loaf is no longer pink inside and the glaze has baked onto the loaf, 30 to 40 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loaf should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Cooking time will depend on shape and thickness of the meatloaf.

MR. JOHN'S MEATLOAF -- COURTESY EMERIL LAGASSE--

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; set aside.
• In a large bowl combine all ingredients, except for the chorizo sausage and chili sauce,.
• Gently mix to combine (do not over mix).
• Place half of the meat mixture on prepared sheet pan, form into a 9 x 4 - inch loaf.
• Using a paring knife, remove casing from the chorizo (keeping the shape intact). Place chorizo lengthwise down the center of loaf. Cover with the other half of meat mixture, enclosing the chorizo and patting to adhere.
• Brush chili sauce over meatloaf. Bake basting occasionally with pan juices, until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the loaf reads 160 degrees, about 1 hour.
• Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

JOHN'S MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together, keeping mixture light and chunky. Don't overmix.
• Place mixture in ungreased loaf pan. Dent top of loaf and baste with extra Honey BBQ sauce.
• Place loaf in oven and bake at 400-425 for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes for a single loaf. (Mixture can be divided into two loaf pans. Use 350 degree oven and shorten cooking time to 40 minutes.).
• Let loaf rest for 10 minutes before removing to serving plate for slicing. (If leaving in loaf pan, drain excess oil and juices from pan after meat rests.).

"BETTER THAN BEEF" MEATLESS MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Very generously grease a loaf pan.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and sauté until nicely browned and juices have evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in onion and cook until soft, another 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add celery, tomato paste, and beef base; cook and stir until tomato paste begins to toast on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Stir in water and turn off the heat; let sit for about 3 minutes.
• Transfer mushroom mixture into a food processor. Add cooked lentils and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.
• Transfer to a mixing bowl and add eggs, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, oregano, thyme, cayenne, ketchup, bread crumbs, oats, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined.
• Transfer mixture into the prepared loaf pan, then wrap with foil and place on a sheet pan.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until firm to the touch, about 1 hour.
• Remove the loaf from the oven and place on a wire rack. Remove the foil and place it on the baking sheet. Grease the foil with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Let the loaf sit for 10 to 15 minutes, and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• While the loaf is resting, make the glaze: Whisk ketchup, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar together in a small bowl.
• Invert the loaf onto the foil and spread glaze all over the surface, mostly on the top but some on the sides.
• Return to the oven and bake until the glaze is cooked on, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Carefully transfer the loaf onto a cutting board. Cut into 6 slices and serve.

JACK'S MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Grease a 3" X 9" loafpan w/ margarine, Mix all ingredients well, in a bowl, & form in a loaf in the pan. Bake @ 350' for 1 hour.
• Can make an optional sauce for the top = 1/4 C Ketchup, 1 tsp Onion Powder & 1 tsp of Prepared Dijon or Yellow mustard. Spoon on top and sprinkle a few minced onion flakes on top before baking.

JAMES BEARD'S OLD-FASHIONED MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meats, onions, carrots, and spices. Mix well.
• Add in the eggs, milk, bread crumbs, and mix well.
• Place half of the mixture on a greased, shallow baking pan. Place hard boiled eggs (without shells, of course) end-to-end in a line through the loaf. Place remaining amount of mixture on top and form into a loaf with your hands.
• Place strips of bacon atop loaf in an attractive criss-cross pattern.
• Bake at 350 F for 90-120 minutes, depending upon how thick you have formed the loaf.

BOB JAMIESON'S MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Allow the beef, veal and pork to come to room temperature. Combine with Worcestershire sauce.
• Saute the onion in the butter until quite soft and golden. Add to the meat with eggs, mustard, ketchup, cracker crumbs and salt and pepper.
• Spoon into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and pat gently. Spread remaining ketchup on top and lay bacon slices across the loaf, if desired.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Remove from oven; remove bacon and drain off fat. Slice and serve.

MEATLOAF MUFFINS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl& mix until well blended- do not over mix.
• Place a 2 inch wide parchment strip across each mould of the muffin tin, coming up from each side by about 2 inches.
• This will be used for unmoulding after they are cooked.
• Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, generously fill each section of the muffin tin with meat, rounding the top to obtain a muffin shape.
• Brush with BBQ sauce& bake in a preheated 350F oven for 15- 20 mins (or until meat thermometer reaches 160F), brushing occasionally with more BBQ sauce.