Spicy, Garlicky Meatloaf Recipe (2024)

If you don't want the meatloaf to "stew in its juices", take a pan-length carrot, slice it down the middle and lay the two pieces on the bottom of the pan before adding the meat mixture. Juices will sink to bottom...under the meat.

Delicious, and lovely texture. I prefer to bake meatloaf on a broad pan with an edge, not a loaf pan, to get more crust and keep it from stewing in its own juice. The pine nuts are a lovely accent. I've also added a few tablespoons of raisins soaked in warm water and drained and some chopped olives for a taste a bit like picadillo.

If you use turkey instead of beef, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil to replace the fat in beef.
I prefer chopped onion to scallions in this recipe. I also use a glaze -- a half cup of ketchup placed atop of the meatloaf when it is baking, rather than the tomato paste applied at the end. It keeps things more juicy and flavorful.

I second the motion. I shape the meat mixture and bake in a cast iron frying pan for a delicious crust. If you're into making pan gravy, it's good for that too. I love picadillo and will try that variation. I sometimes throw in finely chopped veggies I have on hand, carrot, onion, bell pepper.

I was about as lazy as you can get when cooking this, and it was great. I used 2 lbs ground beef. Instead of chopping/whisking, I threw all the garlic, eggs, scallions, etc. in a mason jar and hit it with an immersion blender. Started taking the temp about 20 min. before the time specified and took it out right at 160 degrees. Result was a smooth, moist, garlicky loaf that held up well and tasted great. Served with mashed potatoes and Melissa's mushroom gravy with added sage.

I thought it was okay--nice texture but the flavors were too mild. I would make it again but I'd increase the herbs and jalapeno and spices.

Second try: perfection! for 1/2 recipe I added 1/2 t. dried thyme, 1/2 c chopped cooked kale/garlic and double the sage. I substituted oatmeal for the breadcrumbs and reduced the amount to 1/4 c. Baked 30 minutes; 10 more with topping.

I think baking time should be reduced to 50 min total. This wil make the loaf juicy. Also i added some worchesterhire sauce into the glazing liquid.

I'd also add less bread crumb and would use all beef or beef and turkey - or maybe a coarser grind. Mine also would have benefited from a wider pan (thanks to Judy, below, for the idea), as it did kind of "stew in its own juice." Finally, I'll use more chile(s) next time.

I used 11/2 lbs. ground turkey and 1/2 lb. hot Italian turkey sausages, with the casing removed, and 1/2 cup bread crumbs.it was delicious and the non beef or pork eaters loved it.

To make 1/2 recipe use 2 eggs, 5 cloves garlic, 3 scallions, 1/2 large jalapeño, 1t sage, 1t bouquet garni, 1+ t kosher salt, 1/2 t+ pepper, 1/4 c oatmeal, 1 1/2 T milk, 1/2 # pork, 1/2 # beef, 1/2 c chopped frozen spinach, packed, 1 grated carrot. Catsup on top. Bake 35 minutes, glaze, then 12-15 until 160 degrees @350.

If you love garlic, this is perfection. I used a meatloaf mix (beef/veal/pork) because that's what I had available, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. I really liked the tomato paste instead of the usual ketchup sauce. It was richer, more savory and complemented rather than overpowered the meat. Scallions were a nice addition because they melted into the meat versus a chopped onion which you tend to notice more. The sage was an awesome addition. I've already been asked to make it again.

Love meatloaf anyd this looks like a beauty!l I aree, leave it until the Ñ3xt day to improve the flavour.

I added a 1/2 T of Tamarind paste to the tomato paste making a sweet and sour taste, which we enjoyed.

Am I missing something?! This is the driest meatloaf ever! I think I followed the directions exactly other than cooking in a cast iron per others suggestions. Was I supposed to adjust the cook time!?

I added a half cup of sauted mushrooms , about a cup of chopped onions, 1/4 cup of slivered almonds, a Tbs. dijon Mustard, Tabasco instead of chili pepper, and a Tbs of tomato paste in mixture. Aked it on a greased rimmed cookie sheet. Delicious!

This works perfect with Beyond Beef.A meatless meatloaf = heaven on a chilly day.

I was (pleasantly) unprepared for how amazing this meatloaf smelled while in the oven. Later when it had cooled and left on the counter (for walk-by ‘just one more bite(s) - I had to shoo both of my cats away who had crept up to investigate. So good

One of the better meatloaf recipes out there.During the prep, I accidentally spilled around 12 peppercorns into the mix. On baking, the peppercorns swelled up to the size of peas. During dinner, biting into the resulting peppercorns was like hitting flavor bomb, intense, but not too spicy.

I did a 3 to 1 of ground beef to ground pork, a total of 4 pounds, basically doubling the recipe. I put the scallions jalapeños, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs in a mini food processor, made a slurry out of that, whisk it into the eggs, and mixed all that in with the meat and bread crumbs. I made 2 2-pound loaves, cooking them on the sheet pan and parchment. It came out delicious!

It's a good time of year to re-feature this recipe - we loved it! I took some advice from previous cooks and free-formed it in a baking pan, added a small fresh red bell pepper, and added the bread crumbs directly to the egg mixture with a splash of milk. For the glaze, I cheated and used a Smokey Peach Whiskey Sauce. The leftovers made a great panini on olive ciabatta bread.

I sautéed the aromatics, ground them in the blender, left out the jalapeño, added crushed red pepper, and used a more traditional sweet glaze to keep the kid appeal. The pine nuts added a special touch.

This was good but benefited from greatly increasing the sage and adding thyme, oregano and red pepper to the beef. I liked the scallions better than regular onions. But not much better than regular meatloaf.

Made tonight with a halved recipe. Scallions were great, added 1 leek, some thyme instead of sage. I also had this crazy idea to add some crunchy jalapeño pieces I found at TJs because I always end up rubbing my eyes when I work with jalapeños. I shaped the loaf and cooked in my cast iron skillet. Do you know how I knew this one was a winner? It actually stayed in loaf shape when I cooked it and didn’t fall apart into mush. Yay!

Great texture and flavor. IMO, it is crucial to bake it in a loaf pan and to let it rest for 10 minutes. The resting allows the meatloaf to reabsorb the juices, and the result is a succulent, velvety loaf. I didn’t have fresh sage so I substituted ground sage and other dried herbs, and substituted habaneros for jalapeños for more kick.

This was totally great. Loved the jalapeño - barely there, but added a little pizazz. We used all beef instead of beef pork, but otherwise made exactly as written. I agree with some of the other reviewers that the cooking time could be shortened a little, if only by 5 minutes, but otherwise wouldn’t change a thing. Whenever my fiancé wants a recipe for something classic I direct him to Melissa, and she always comes through!

I substituted two Thai chilis for the jalapeño. Plenty of kick!

If you’re lucky enough to have a jar of early girl tomato jam in your fridge, it makes a sublime and simple glaze when spooned over the top in the last 15 minutes of baking.

Melissa, if I substitute instant oats for the breadcrumbs (for my GF spouse), any idea how much I should use?