Best Homemade Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 green bell pepper, (roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 rib celery, (roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 small carrot, (roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces)
• 5 cloves garlic, (peeled)
• 1 medium yellow onion, (grated on largest holes (with the juices))
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 24 Ritz Crackers, (crushed)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, (nonfat is fine)
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley ((or 1 TBS dried))
• 1 tablespoon granulated beef bouillon (or 3 cubes, crushed)
• 1 tsp EACH paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, pepper
• 1/2 tsp EACH dried basil, salt
• 1 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 pounds ground beef ((preferably not lean, 80-85%))
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, (more or less to taste)
• dash-2 teaspoons hot sauce ((like Frank’s or Tabasco))

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep: Place a rimmed baking sheet on a baking rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper with overhaninging edges (make a sling with one piece of parchment going one direction and another piece going the other direction); set aside. (Don't line if using a meatloaf pan.)

2. 2

   Chop veggies: Add roughly chopped green bell pepper, celery, carrot and garlic cloves to a food processor and finely chop (or chop by hand). While I have the food processor out, I also process my Ritz crackers to create crumbs (remove the veggies, but no need to clean in between).

3. 3

   Saute veggies: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced vegetables until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Let cool while you make the glaze:

4. 4

   Make Glaze: Whisk all of the Glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust with more brown sugar for sweeter or more hot sauce for spicier. Set aside.

5. 5

   Combine meatloaf ingredients: Add all of the remaining Meatloaf ingredients to the sauteed vegetables except the beef. Stir with a spatula until combined. Add the ground beef and mix with your hands just until combined.

6. 6

   Make loaf: While still in the bowl, form the mixture into a loaf, pinching together any cracks (helps prevent cracking while baking). Slide into the loaf pan, gently press meat down and shape evenly, again pinching together any cracks.

7. 7

   Glaze meatloaf: Separate out ½ of the Glaze and brush it all over the meatloaf.

8. 8

   Bake and glaze: Place the loaf on the preheated baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf and carefully pour out any pooling fat. Brush the meatloaf with a generous amount of remaining glaze (you can leave some for serving).

9. 9

   Finish baking: Return to the oven and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 155 degrees F. This can take anywhere from 35-55 minutes depending on the pan, meat, moisture, altitude. etc. so I HIGHLY recommend this digital probe thermomter that stays in the meatloaf while it bakes and alerts you as soon as it's done. My meatloaf was done at extactly 50 additional minutes.

10. 10

    Rest and slice: Let the meatloaf rest in the pan for 15 minutes (this will allow carryover to 160 degrees F), then transfer it to a cutting board using the overhaning parchment. Let it stand an additional 5-10 minutes. Slice the meatloaf into thick slices (expect some crumbling, this means it’s extra tender as opposed to a cleanly sliced meatloaf which means it’s firmly packed and dense). Serve with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and enjoy!