OK, so I know Meatloaf is one of those dishes we’re all a little bored of by now. Not so glamorous or gourmet, and usually a quick go-to dish when we have nothing else in the fridge and want to make an easy dinner with a few ingredients on hand. Well that was the case last weekend, so I thought – how can I jazz this meatloaf up a bit and make it a little healthier to boot?
I have some samples of Kickin’ Ketchup in my pantry that I’ve been meaning to try – it’s a spicy ketchup made out in California with a touch of heat and smooth sweetness. I thought I would experiment making a spicy concoction made with the ketchup and some ancho chile powder and red pepper jelly (try this one or make your own) – perfect for a Meatloaf glaze or dipping sauce for homemade cocktail meatballs. The balance of the smoky chile powder mixed with the spicy heat of the ketchup and sweet heat of the red pepper jelly is a harmonious combination and I’m lovin’ it. For the meatloaf, I used a combination of ground beef, ground pork and ground veal – the holy grail for a savory juicy meatloaf. I added onions and garlic, some minced zucchini, a dollop of Kickin’ Ketchup and a dash of ancho chile powder along with oatmeal substituted for regular breadcrumbs. I made some Wild Mushroom Risotto on the side, but this would be perfect with some roasted carrots, sauteed zucchini or mashed potatoes to accompany. Dig in!
Ingredients
- HEALTHY HOMESTYLE MEATLOAF
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium zucchini, finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 pounds meatloaf mix (ground beef, veal and pork)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Kickin' Ketchup (or use regular ketchup and add some cayenne)
- 1/4 cup instant or steel-cut oats
- ANCHO CHILE-RED PEPPER GLAZE
- 1/4 cup Kickin' Ketchup
- 4 tablespoons Red Pepper Jelly
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- HEALTHY HOMESTYLE MEATLOAF
- Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and zucchini and cook for about 8 minutes, until tender. Add minced garlic and saute for another minute or two. Remove cooked vegetables from the pan into a small bowl, let cool completely and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a ceramic or glass rectangular baking dish with no-stick cooking oil spray.
- Whisk eggs together in a large mixing bowl, add the cooled cooked veggies, meat, spices, ketchup and oats and mix together thoroughly and gently with your hands.
- Take the meatloaf mixture and press together into one large or two small loaves into the baking dish.
- Make the Ancho Chile-Red Pepper Glaze per instructions below, and brush over entire meatloaf, saving some extra glaze for serving.
- Bake for 1 hour up to 1 1/4 hours until a thermometer inserted in center reads 155 degrees F.
- Remove baked meatloaf from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Slice and serve with additional glaze and a side of roasted veggies, mashed potatoes or mushroom risotto.
- ANCHO CHILE-RED PEPPER GLAZE
- Mix together ketchup, red pepper jelly, garlic salt and ancho chile powder and black pepper. Brush glaze on to meatloaf and save additional glaze for serving.
Ingredients
- Mushroom stock:
- ½ lb. cremini mushrooms
- ½ lb. white button mushrooms
- ½ lb. shitake mushrooms
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- ½ c. dried porcini mushrooms
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 oz. Madeira wine
- Risotto:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 shallots, finely minced
- 4 c. Arborio rice
- ¾ c. white wine
- Mushroom stock (reserved)
- 1 tbsp. minced chives
- 1 tbsp. Italian parsley
- ¼ c. grated Pecorino Romano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- To make the mushroom stock, wash and trim the stems of the fresh mushrooms. Reserve the stems and slice the mushroom caps for use later in the recipe. (Make sure to dust of the dirt first and don’t soak the mushrooms).
- Combine the chicken stock, stems, dried porcini mushrooms in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes over low heat. Strain through a cheesecloth and reserve the liquid for the risotto.
- Heat a large sauté pan and add 4 tbsp of butter. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until browned. Deglaze the Madeira and reduce until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Reserve the mushrooms. (Try to let the Madeira glaze sit, don’t stir).
- For the risotto, heat a wide pot or rondeau (flat bottom pot with tall sides) over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp butter. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir the mixture together to coat the rice with the shallots and butter.
- Add the white wine, lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the wine has evaporated. Begin adding the mushroom stock, a large ladleful at a time. Continue to add the mushroom stock (slowly and continuously), stirring constantly until the rice is just cooked through and all the stock has been absorbed, about 20 mins. The rice should be slightly al dente but have a creamy consistency and not dry.
- Stir in the reserved mushrooms, the remaining tablespoon of butter, chives, and parsley. Top off the risotto with Pecorino Romano and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Other Meatloaf Recipes you might enjoy:
Pioneer Woman’s Favorite Meatloaf
Cooking Light Spicy Turkey Meatloaf with Ketchup Glaze
