I’m in Houston visiting my folks who, now in their 90s, really don’t enjoy spicy food anymore. So, I usually make milder, more traditional classic southern recipes that stay in their comfort zone. Meatloaf is one of those great “taste of home” dishes that just screams comfort food and family. This version doesn’t stray too far from what I remember enjoying growing up in my big family of seven. I’ve tweaked it a bit, but it’s still pretty true to the classic.
Southern Country Meatloaf
makes 6-8 servings
1 tbl Olive Oil
1 tbl Butter
1 med Yellow Onion, finely chopped
3 Celery Stalks, split and finely chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tbl Cajun Seasoning
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Dried Oregano
2 1/4 lb Ground Sirloin (or other lean ground beef)
3 slices Wheat Bread, sliced, cubed then chopped (lightly toast them in a toaster before slicing and chopping…it’ll make it easier)
2 lg Eggs
1 tbl Worcestershire Sauce
2 tbl Curly Parsley, measured after finely chopped
1/3 cu Ketchup
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Topping
2 tsp Worshestershire Sauce
1 8oz can Tomato Sauce
3 tbl Tomato Paste
1 tbl Ketchup
1 tbl Brown Sugar
Extra Curly Parsley, for garnish
Method
Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and set aside.
Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Add onions and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add celery and garlic and continue to sauté over medium low heat for about 7 minutes longer. Be sure to keep the heat low so you’re not burning any of the ingredients. Add the cajun seasoning, chili powder, and oregano and sauté for about 1 minute longer. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer ingredients to a large mixing bowl to cool fully.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Once the sautéed ingredients are cool, add the ground sirloin, bread, eggs, 1 tablespoon of Worchestershire sauce, chopped parsley, 1/3 cu Ketchup, salt, and pepper. Mix ingredients well. Mound ingredients into a loaf on your foil lined baking sheet. The loaf can be any shape you like, but I usually make it about the size of a standard sheet of paper folded in half lengthwise (10″-11″ x 4″-5″).
Place meatloaf in the oven and roast for 50 minutes.
While meatloaf is in the oven, mix all the topping ingredients in a bowl and set aside. After 50 minutes, open oven and slide the rack out and top the meatloaf with the tomato sauce mixture. Roast for another 15 minutes. At this point, you can turn on the broiler and broil the top for a few minutes to add a little color or you can remove the meatloaf from the oven without broiling. Once removed, let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve generous slices on individual plates and garnish with a bit of parsley.
As traditions go…this is a great dish with some sautéed carrots and mashed potatoes with country gravy. Enjoy!