Classic Meatloaf

By PineyCook

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup of finely chopped onion
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped green onion, including the green onion greens
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
• 2 teaspoon salt (use 1 1/2 teaspoons if using Italian sausage)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup ketchup, divided 1/3 and 1/3
• 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (chuck)
• 3/4 pound of spicy ground pork sausage or Italian sausage (a mix of sweet and hot if you are using links)
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (take a couple slices of fresh bread and pulse in a blender until you have crumbs)
• 2 large eggs, beaten slightly
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Details

Adapted from simplyrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

1 Preheat oven to 350° F, with a rack in the middle of the oven.

2 Melt the butter in a large, thick-bottomed skillet, on medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the finely chopped onions, celery, carrot, green onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.

Cover the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, until the carrots are tender, stirring every so often.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the Worcestershire sauce and one-third cup of ketchup. Cook for another minute and remove from heat to cool.

3 Once the vegetables have cooled to the touch, place them in a large bowl with the ground beef, Italian sausage, eggs, breadcrumbs and parsley. Use your (very clean) hands to mix them together until everything is evenly distributed.

4 Place the meatloaf mixture into a loaf pan (either 4x8 or 5x9) and press to make compact in the pan. Or you can form a free-standing loaf onto a rimmed baking pan. Cover the meatloaf mixture with the rest of the ketchup.

5 Bake for 1 hour at 350°F, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf reads 155°F. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Then use a metal spatula to gently lift the meatloaf out of the loaf pan to a serving plate.

Make thick slices to serve. The meatloaf makes great leftovers, just chill and reheat. Slices are good in sandwiches as well.