We've been doing a lot of thinking outside of the box recently, so we thought it was time to get back to basics. But basic doesn't have to mean boring -- whether you have a classic meatloaf recipe that's really something special, or a revolutionary take on this American staple, we want to see it!
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We like that the sauce is sweetened with brown sugar and not too much of it. Meatloaf is rich -- you don't need to be weighed down with a sweet sauce.
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You just toss all the sauce ingredients into a blender -- blackberries, onion, garlic, cayenne, ginger and brown sugar.
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Amanda, after realizing that she almost shot blackberry sauce on her ceiling, catching it just in time with her left hand.
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The blackberry sauce just starting out on the stove.
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This is what the sauce looks like when it's done. A little jammy. A lot spicy.
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A combo of veal, beef and pork makes for a flavorful base.
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Our 3-foot-tall inspector.
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Now all the meats, onion, garlic and dried basil are in the bowl.
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Next up, lightly beaten egg goes in.
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The secret sauce: Worcestershire.
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Cutting the crusts from the bread and tearing the slices into small pieces. Clearly, a two-woman job.
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Discussing and dissecting the sauce. Or maybe just recalling scenes from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."
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With meatloaf you've got to get in there with your hands.
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You want to press the mixture lightly into the pan.
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Before cooking the meatloaf, you spread about half a cup of sauce on top, which bakes in and turns jammy in the oven.
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Like everything else in the recipe, the sauce requires you to go big or go home.
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Cider vinegar adds a nice zing.
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Amanda spread the bacon on cookie sheets and baked it in the oven -- even cooking, and fewer splatters.
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Egg #1 of 5!
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We thought these looked like cream fingers.
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Amanda cheerfully adds the Worcestershire sauce.
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It's a symphony of vegetables!
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Yet another two-person job: scraping veggies into the mixing bowl.
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Amanda checks the bacon after about 10 minutes, and flips it to crisp the other side.
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We chopped the bacon into semi-small pieces -- a little unevenly.
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Fact: the only way to mix meatloaf is with your paws.
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The patty test!
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Yes, our lives are rough here at food52.
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It looks a little like a large football.
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On goes the sauce. ADRIENE suggests that you baste the meatloaf every 20 minutes or so while it bakes. If you double-dip with your basting brush, make sure you simmer the sauce a bit before you serve it alongside the meatloaf.
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