Smothered with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
I think that meatloaf is a very underrated dish. People think “boring”, I think delicious. The funny thing is that we served meatloaf on the menu at Grazie and it was extremely popular. Ours was an Italian version of the typical American dish. We topped the meatloaf with a hearty tomato and mushroom sauce and guests loved it. I think that it may be because it reminds people of home. Meatloaf is a comfort food and since Grazie was a neighborhood restaurant people weren’t looking for fancy, they wanted delicious home cooking. There are many different adaptations of meatloaf. Recipes vary the meat used and some don’t use meat at all. I like to use a combination of veal, pork and beef for my meatloaf. This is the classic blend of meat to use in meatloaf recipes. It is also essential to use fresh breadcrumbs, not packaged. I am the first person to try and make a recipe easy but it really makes a difference to make your own fresh breadcrumbs out of white or french bread. I like to buy a loaf of bread, leave it out for a day or two and then make a big batch of crumbs and freeze them in a ziplock bag. You can defrost them as needed.
It is also important to mix all the ingredients well before making a loaf shape to bake in the oven. The liquids need to mix with the breadcrumbs and meat in order to result in a meatloaf that has the right texture and consistency. So take your time mixing with a fork. When forming the loaf shape do not handle the meat too long. You want to gently form the shape and then leave it alone. If you handle meat for meatloaf or meatballs too long it becomes too dense and it will end up being tough. Always let your meatloaf rest for 10 minutes after you take it out of the oven to prevent it from falling apart when you slice.
fresh breadcrumbs 
meatloaf ready for oven
The Best Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground veal
- ½ lb ground pork
- 2½ slices white bread ground into breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup beef broth
- â…“ cup ketchup
- ½ tbsp dried minced onions
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
- 2 sweet vidalia onions
- ½ lb button mushrooms sliced
- 3 tbsp butter
- â…› tsp sugar
- â…› tsp pepper
- â…› tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Grind slices of white bread into breadcrumbs in food processor
- Blend all meatloaf ingredients together. Mix well with a fork
- Gently mold into loaf shape in a 9×13 baking dish. Do not over handle meat.
- Bake uncovered for 1 hour
- Let rest for 10 minutes
Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
- While meatloaf is baking start to make onions and mushrooms
- Peel and cut the onions in half. Slice into ¼ inch slices
- Melt butter in pan over medium low heat
- Add onions and sugar
- Cook on low heat to allow onions to begin to caramelize. Around 45 minutes
- stir often
- When onions turn light brown add mushrooms, salt and pepper
- Saute for another 10 minutes or so until mushrooms are cooked and onions are golden brown
Try it. I feel that the caramelized onions and mushrooms are a delicious compliment to the the texture of the meatloaf. Great idea to serve a glaze on the side.
Interesting concept to top the meatloaf with the onion/mushroom topping. I can’t say I recall seeing another recipe that didn’t include the onions within the meatloaf itself. I wonder if I won’t miss a good glazed topping, but it will be easy to whip one up and serve it on the side.