The Pioneer Woman's recipe for meatloaf couldn't be simpler! It has a simple homemade sauce brushed on top and freezes well for later meals!
All I want to do is purchase a red wig and go around my house acting like The Pioneer Woman. Is this really wrong? I just adore watching her prepare meals in her sizable, spotless, sun-filled lodge, where the food always turns out perfectly and the dishes always wash.
But for now, I suppose I'll just eat her bacon-wrapped meatloaf without the wig. It's genuinely the most flavored meatloaf I've ever had. Can you even imagine the flavor that is created when the bacon cooks on top of the meat and the juices drip into it?
I wish the bacon aroma would never leave my kitchen.
What is the Best Meat for Meatloaf?
When choosing ground beef for meatloaf, 80% lean ground beef is a good option. Leaner meats often become dry.
The meatloaf will also be very tender and flavorful if you use ground beef, pork, and veal. Each would be used for ⅓ lb.
PRO HINT: This meat mixture is already packaged in the meat section of some supermarkets and is intended for making meatballs and/or meatloaf.
What Kind of Bread is Best?
Although crusty artisan bread can also be used, soft, white sandwich bread is ideal for meatloaf.
White sandwich bread is what The Pioneer Woman prefers to use, and I tend to concur. The softer bread, in my opinion, blends into the ground beef better and results in a more consistent consistency.
Can You Over-Mix Ground Beef?
Yes, when making meatloaf or burgers, you can overmix the ground beef.
Make sure the meatloaf is uniform in consistency, but handle the meat gently and try not to mix it too much to avoid toughening the consistency and mildly reducing the flavor.
Can You Make Meatloaf Ahead of Time?
YES! You can completely prepare and assemble meatloaf in advance, which is a great make-ahead recipe.
Simply wrap the assembled loaf in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight before baking the following day.
Meatloaf that has been assembled can also be frozen. Before baking, let it defrost in the refrigerator for the night.
Pro tip: If you don't need all that this loaf makes, you can cut it in half and freeze the extra for another day.
Freezing
- Meatloaf that has been cooked in the ideal freezer food. Wrap it in foil and allow it to cool. For up to three months, keep it in the freezer bag.
- Bake in the foil at 350°F for 20–30 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.
- It can also be microwaved after spending the night in the refrigerator to defrost it.
Broiler Pan Substitute
To allow the excess grease to drip off the meatloaf and prevent the bottom from becoming soggy, a broiler pan is used.
USE ONLY A COOKIE SHEET:
Place the loaf directly on top of a cookie sheet, but keep in mind that you will need to periodically remove the sheet and drain the liquid as the loaf cooks. This is a bit challenging.
USING A COOLING RACK ON A ROASTING PAN:
- A roasting pan should be placed on top of a cooling rack.
- To keep the meat in its place, line the cooling rack with foil.
- To allow the fat to escape and drip onto the baking sheet or roasting pan, make a number of tiny holes in the foil.
It should be noted that the bacon underneath the loaf, which is placed on top of the foil, probably won't cook as well as it would if it were placed directly on a broiler pan. Just keep this in mind if you use the foil method.
Can I Make This Without Bacon?
If you'd prefer, you can completely omit the bacon from this recipe. It might be necessary to cut the remaining cooking time from 25 minutes to around 15-20 minutes.
The Pioneer Woman Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 6 slices White Bread
- 2 pounds Ground Beef, 80% lean
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
- ¼ teaspoon Seasoned Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- ⅓ cup fresh Parsley, minced
- 4 whole Eggs, Beaten
- 12 slices Thin cut Bacon
Sauce:
- 2 cups Ketchup
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 1 dash Tabasco sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the bread to a large bowl and pour the milk on top of the slices. Let them soak for 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining meatloaf ingredients and use your hands to combine. Try to ensure that the bread is sufficiently combined into the mixture, although try not to overmix as the ground beef will become tougher and lose some flavor.
- Form the meat into a loaf, (about 5 inches wide), and place it over a broiler pan to allow the fat to drain. Lining the bottom of the broiler pan with foil will make for easier cleanup.
- Line the bacon over the top of the loaf and carefully tuck the ends under the bottom. The bacon can be used to help support the shape of the loaf. I like to line them so that they are touching, but not overlapping so that you can easily slice in between each piece of bacon when it’s cooked.
- Combine the sauce ingredients and brush ⅓ of it over the meatloaf.
- Bake the meatloaf for 45 minutes on the middle rack. Remove it from the oven and brush another ⅓ of the sauce over it. Bake for another 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes prior to slicing, cutting in too early will cause the juice to run out of the loaf.
- Pro Tip: Use a meat thermometer to ensure the middle is 160°F before you slice in.
- Serve with the remaining sauce and enjoy! These are delicious with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans!
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