Not your Mom's Meatloaf

I am married to a meat and potatoes kind of guy so I like to play with traditional dishes and make them a little more fun and dressed up. Here is my spin on meatloaf. As I recommend with all my recipes, have fun and alter to your specific tastes.

I like big chunks of bread in my meatloaf while others may not. I cut 2 slices of bread (whatever you have on hand, I have used everything from white bread to whole wheat to country potato) into cubes. Again, I like bigger squares and I do a rough cut as I feel it makes it a little more rustic feeling.

Add your bread into a big mixing bowl. Add 1 large egg. Add 2-4 minced garlic gloves (WE LOVE GARLIC). Add a few dashes of salt and pepper to taste. Then add 2 heaping tablespoons of parsley.

Then add a few dashes of Worchestire Sauce and half an onion to the bowl.

Now the magic begins! Add your ground beef. I prefer to use lean meat as it can get a big greasing when baking. For this recipe I used just under a pound and a half. I love leftovers and meatloaf makes great sandwiches for lunch the next day. 

Time to get dirty! I love this part because you get to get hands on; nothing works as good as what God gave us...our hands. Mix together until all the ingredients are fully combined. Then you make individual loafs, 1 serving sizes per person. I make mine a little big bigger than my palm into a nice rectangle shape. The great part about this is you can make them any size you want depending on who is coming to dinner. 

Place each loaf on a little greased baking pan. I top my loaves with a nice squeeze of ketchup.

Place in a heated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until done. 

I served this dish with an easy zucchini dish. Take your zucchini, slice length-wise in half. Place on cooking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Then add a handful of fresh parmesan cheese. Bake in 400 degree oven along with your meatloaf for about 15-20 minutes until soft and lightly browned. 

Once everything is cooked serve and enjoy~ I served with garlic mash potatoes to complete the meat and potato meal. Light some candles, set the table, and have a great date night with your man.

I hope you enjoy this dressed up meatloaf. Let me know your thoughts and what you tried to change or personalize it. Bon Appetite!