Good Eats Meatloaf

This recipe was originally featured on Good Eats (on Food Network).

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1 hr 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 oz garlic-flavored croutons
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and broken
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 18 oz ground chuck
• 18 oz ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 egg
• For the glaze
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • Dash Worcestershire sauce
  • Dash hot pepper sauce
  • 1 Tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.
3. Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan on the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.
4. Combine the ingredients for the glaze. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

Tips & Tricks:

• We used a red onion as we needed the other half for an upcoming recipe.
• We made our own croutons from leftover french bread that I brushed with garlic and olive oil and baked in the oven until toasted.
• To get the meatloaf out of the loaf pan, run a spatula around the sides of the pan so it doesn’t stick when you flip it over.
• Let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes after coming out of the oven.
• If you’re not a big cumin fan, take the amount down a notch in the glaze. It is a strong flavor as currently written.