Classic “All American” Meatloaf

This recipe is a version that Alton Brown did on Good Eats. I’ve added a few extra ingredients, like mushrooms, which I believe helps make a very moist meatloaf. Do I feel bad stealing Alton’s recipe? No, because he stole it from someone, who stole it from someone, and so on and so on. I've tried many recipes and this is my favorite for flavor, texture and it's just plain easy to make.

I believe this is the first demo I make you dust off your food processor for. I know they are a pain to drag out and clean, but they are crucial to this recipe! The real secret to this method is the veggie puree we add to the meat and bread crumbs. Not only do these aromatic vegetables add tons of flavor, more importantly they add moisture to the mix. Most “bad” meatloaves are nothing more than giant baked hamburgers.

Another important tip is to use a digital meat thermometer to check for an internal temp of 155° F. This will produce the best final product. The times I give can be very tricky since all ovens are different and you may not have shaped yours exactly the same as mine. When you go by internal temps you take the guess work out of it.

Stay tuned, as I will show you my mushroom sauce recipe that I garnished this beautiful loaf of meat with. In fact, it just stopped raining here in Northern California, so there should be a nice selection of wild mushrooms to use. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean)
1 carrot
1 rib celery
1/2 onion
1/2 red bell pepper
4 white mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
2 tbl olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Glaze:
2 tbl brown sugar
2 tbl ketchup
2 tbl Dijon mustard
hot sauce to taste