I was recently looking for something different to make and found this recipe. I feel like it’s a game-changer and I highly recommend it. I was going to delete my other meatloaf recipe, but I decided to leave it.
Here are the two things that make this meatloaf SO much better. First, I did not bake it in a loaf pan. I baked it on a parchment lined sheet pan. It cooked much more quickly and had a much better texture. Next, I sautéed peppers, onions are garlic before adding them to my meat mixture. I’m use to adding onions to my meatloaf without cooking them first. This made the improved both the flavor and texture.
Give it a try. I halved this recipe because it’s too much for us, but I am posting the original recipe which uses two pounds of ground beef.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 medium sized yellow or white onion (diced)
- 1/2 green pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
- In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk. Stir to combine.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onions and peppers until they are fragrant and slightly brown while stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 2-3 additional minutes. Remove the pan from heat and set it aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, soaked bread crumbs with the milk, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, pepper and the cooked onions and garlic. Use your hands to combine the mixture, but try not to overwork the meat. Shape the mixture into a loaf on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to cut a crisscross pattern on top.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes of cooking, spread your favorite bbq sauce over the top of the meatloaf and continue baking for about 30 minutes to an internal temperature of 160°F
