Mini Meatloaves

Meatloaf. My mom only made it a couple times in my youth as far as I recall. Other friends have memories of dry, bland meatloaf akin to cardboard. Or slathered in just ketchup.

Well, this version is far from bland or dry. Nor is it smothered in plain ol’ ketchup.

This version sports pizazz. It screams savory. You’ll come back begging for more. You’ll dream about it all night long. You’ll wake up in the middle of the night to sneak a taste. You’ll wonder if the morning will ever cross over into noon to eat the leftovers your brought to work for lunch.

Okay, you get the picture. It’s tasty as all heck.

And to boot, they look darn cute in their individual meatloaf shapes. Besides, this way each piece gets more of the sauce to coat it. And the sauce on this recipe is my favorite part. It’s the part I dream about and that activates my salivary glands. Scrumdillyicious.

If you have nightmares about meatloaf from your childhood, it’s time to face them. And conquer them. This recipe is the solution. It’s your knight in shining armor.

Remember to coat your rack in foil…such a pain to clean up otherwise! I know!!

Mini Meatloaves

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INGREDIENTS

Meatloaves

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cups chopped onion, yellow or white (I only used 1 medium onion and reduced the amount because I’m not overly fond of onions)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used venison)
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Glaze

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp. hot sauce
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap a wire rack with aluminum foil (trust me, much easier clean up this way); using a skewer or fork, poke it with holes. Set this atop a baking sheet. (The raised rack with poked holes will allow some fat to drain off.)
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook until onion softens and grows translucent but not browned, about 8 minutes.
3. Remove from heat; stir in Worcestershire sauce, broth, and tomato paste.
4. Crumble the ground beef into a mixing bowl; add the onion mixture, breadcrumbs, and the lightly beaten egg. Using a fork, lightly combine, careful to not mash the mixture. A light touch prevents the meatloaves from cooking up dense and tough.
5. Divide the mixture into six equal portions; shape each into a loaf. Line them on the prepared baking sheet. (At this point, the meatloaves can be wrapped and refrigerated for several hours or even frozen.)
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until they reach 140 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
7. While the meatloaves are baking, prepare the glaze by combining the ketchup, hot sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and coriander in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until the glaze is thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
8. Using half the glaze, brush the tops and sides of each meatloaf after the 25-30 minute cooking period. Allow to cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until they reach 150-155 degrees F internally. Brush with the remaining glaze and place under the broiler. Broil 5-10 minutes more; remove from oven. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: Six individual meatloaves

SOURCE: Pink Parsley via Ina Garten from foodnetwork.com with glaze from Cook’s Illustrated