What's For Dinner? Meatloaf!

One way that I get my kids to eat more variety is to let them pick out dinners. Over the summer I definitely let this fall by the wayside but recently my daughter asked me again if once a week they can each pick out a dinner. Honestly, this makes my life a little easier because I know at least 1/3 of my kids will eat with no backtalk (although I will say my son almost never has an issue). 

A lot of people cringe when they hear meatloaf and kids definitely roll their eyes. This isn't your average boring dry meatloaf. Promise! I originally started making this recipe to sneak veggies into my kids but as time went on and I modified the recipe it's been a family hit (for most of us anyway)! The beauty is that you can add anything you want to make it your own.

The recipe that I made last night was 3# (pounds) of meat but you can make anywhere from 1-3. We definitely have leftovers. I also used a mix of beef and pork, but you can use just beef, turkey or a meatloaf mix (although I find the meatloaf mix expensive these days so any meat works)! The shredded carrots give the "loaf" some sweetness but you can eliminate or shred different veggies (my kids don't seem to mind the carrots). 

Meatloaf

1.5# meat (turkey, beef, meatloaf mix)

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4c-1/2c diced onion

1-2 minced garlic clove

1 tsp salt, fresh cracked black pepper to taste

1 tsp dried thyme (you can use any herb but I love the flavor of thyme here)

1-2 eggs

1 tsp Worcestershire

1/4 c ketchup

3/4 c breadcrumbs (any kind will do. I prefer plain no seasoning). You can add some parmesan if you'd like (for this particular recipe I do not)

Glaze (to be applied halfway through baking)

1/2 c ketchup 

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp Worcestershire

**Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Optional: I like to sauté the onions and garlic to make them soft and sweet but it's not necessary if you don't feel like dirtying another pan

-Add all meatloaf ingredients to a bowl

-Mix with your hands to combine all ingredients evenly. If the mix seems too wet (add a little more breadcrumbs) or too dry (add another egg). 

I always line my baking pans with tin foil to avoid a nasty cleanup. I also spray with cooking spray to avoid having the meat stick. 

-Form the meat mixture into a loaf (you can either bake now or leave it on the tray, cover in plastic and put in the fridge to bake later). I don't like to make my meatloaf too thick to be sure that it cooks all the way through. My loaf is approximately 2" thick

-Bake the meatloaf uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes

-Meanwhile make the glaze by combining all glaze ingredients in a bowl

-Glaze the meat on the top and sides and put back in the oven for another 25 minutes (total cooking time 60 minutes)

We love side dishes in this house. In a future blog I will outline some of our go to side dishes. Last night we had sautéed zucchini and baked onion rings. 

I will post later this week on how we use the leftovers for another meal!