Mirepoix Meatloaf Recipe ~ Simple & Easy

by Lynne on March 15, 2011

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Mirepoix Meatloaf

After writing my post about Leftover Oddments Soup and mentioning the best leftovers possible – meatloaf sandwiches – all of a sudden I just had to make meatloaf. Imagining that sandwich with soft white bread, mayonnaise and a thick slab of meatloaf had me rushing to the market to buy the ingredients. In fact, I have had such a sandwich for the last two days, first with lightly toasted sourdough and today with plain soft egg bread. Today was definitely the winner. So satisfying. Such a trip down comfort food memory lane.

My Mom used to make meatloaf in the 1950’s, but it was a simple recipe with hamburger, chopped onions, an egg, a squirt of ketchup and mustard, and crushed saltine crackers. We usually had it with baked potatoes and canned spinach (which I loved). She probably learned to make this during WWII when cooks were stretching their meat with a number of additives, such as bread, rice, oatmeal and vegetables.

Mirepoix Meatloaf 2

Cooked mixtures of minced meat go back to Roman times, but the meat had to be chopped laboriously by hand. Meatloaf in its modern form didn’t appear in cookbooks until the invention of the meat grinder in the late 1800s. Early recipes called for veal, which was cheaper than beef and meatloaf was the mainstay of American cuisine during the Great Depression. Variations of meatloaf appear in many countries, many with hard-boiled eggs tucked inside. One theory is that American meatloaf had its origins in scrapple, a mixture of ground pork and cornmeal served by German-Americans in Pennsylvania since Colonial times.

The little cousin of meatloaf is the meatball. I actually kept out enough meat mixture to make two big meatballs, which I’m planning on using with a pasta recipe. A meatball is just a small meatloaf, really, isn’t it? While I was surfing the net for meatloaf info, I ran into a couple of websites about the world record for the biggest meatball on the planet. I figured maybe the size of a basketball? Oh no, these babies were 200 pounds, 222.5 pounds and 400 pounds. And, in my opinion, they look like big meatloafs to me.

Mirepoix Meatloaf 3

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Mirepoix Meatloaf Recipe ~ Simple & Easy

1 small or ½ of medium onion
1 small celery stalk
1 small carrot
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 large garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoon parsley, minced
1 teaspoon basil, minced
½ teaspoon fresh oregano, minced

1 pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
2 slices bread, crusts removed, chopped small or processed

Sauce
½ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a food processor, whiz the onion, celery and carrot until finely minced. Or finely mince or grate by hand. I started with my large processor and then transferred to my mini-chopper.

3. Place the first 11 ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

4. Add the beef and pork to the bowl. With your hands, incorporate the vegetable mixture into the ground meats just until homogenous. Add the chopped bread and mix in.

5. Place the meat mixture in a loaf pan and round the top and sides.

6. In small bowl, mix together the ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon over meatloaf top and sides, smoothing evenly to desired thickness. I like lots. You may have ketchup mixture left over.

7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.

8. Remove from oven and carefully decant the juices surrounding the meatloaf into a small bowl. Secure the meatloaf in the pan when pouring so it doesn’t fall out. I used a skewer. Skim fat from reserved pan juices in bowl.

9. Place meatloaf on serving platter and slice to desired thickness. Serve with mashed potatoes. Drizzle pan juices over sliced meatloaf on plate.

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Girlfriend Food Blog Friday - Meet Lynne, author of Cook & Be Merry - Geez Louise!
February 3, 2012 at 1:10 pm

{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }

Monet March 15, 2011 at 9:17 pm

Super easy….super tasty…and GREAT for leftovers. I wanted one of those sandwiches so bad after reading your post 🙂 Thanks for sharing with me tonight. Visiting your blog brings a smile to my face, week after week. I hope you have a fabulous Wednesday!

Nuts about food March 16, 2011 at 5:07 am

I really love meatloaf too. So easy to make, cheap, great for leftovers…what more can you want? I found a recipe a while back on Pioneer Woman’s blog and posted about it because it seriously was delicious. But yours looks fabulous too. Now I’m gonna have to go to the market too.

Kay Little March 16, 2011 at 9:55 am

You couldn’t have said it better….love meatloaf sandwiches!

Sarah @ SugarCooking March 16, 2011 at 10:20 am

Wow, I don’t even like meatloaf but those pictures are making me question that. Gorgeous photos!

Cookie March 16, 2011 at 11:18 am

OMG I LOVE making meatloaf just for the left-overs! It’s the most perfect comfort food ever!

J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) March 16, 2011 at 11:42 am

My family adds ground pork to meatballs; makes it so much more flavorful than just beef. Never thought about it in a meatloaf! I bet it tastes wonderful. It sure looks like it does!

Nancy@acommunaltable March 16, 2011 at 3:37 pm

Gorgeous photos Lynne!! Meatloaf is a favorite in our house and I’m always trying different versions. I can tell from the ingredients that this would be a huge hit with my family so of course, I am going to have to try it!!!

Seriously, a 400 lb. meatball?? I don’t think I wanna know how they cooked that one!!!

polwig March 16, 2011 at 4:35 pm

l love all the historical background and I was reminded of my husband telling me how much he likes scrapple. He is also a lover of Spam, go figure… over 200 lb meatball surely looks like meat loaf to me too.

Adair @ Lentil Breakdown March 16, 2011 at 11:57 pm

This looks just like the meatloaf my mom (and later, me) used to make with the sauce on top. Instead of ketchup, ours has tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard and vinegar and is delicious. I haven’t made it in years, and these pics are bringing it all back! Oh, and that’s a kick-ass fork! (Did I just say that? It’s late…)

Louise March 18, 2011 at 8:39 pm

meatloaf is a staple for me, believe it or not if it’s on the menu i have a hard time not ordering it. lovely food styling lynne, beautiful light.

happy friday,
louise

Lana March 19, 2011 at 10:21 pm

I can’t believe that veal was cheaper than beef! Too funny! My mom puts cooked eggs in her meatloaf and no sauce on top. I love all good versions of this dish and usually make a double batch, saving a half for meatballs:)
Great info and beautiful photos:)

Christine March 21, 2011 at 7:23 pm

Oh sure, haven’t thought of meatloaf sandwiches for ages and now MUST have one!!! LOL! Love them on fresh white bread with catsup…mmmm. I’ll be giving your recipe a try this time. Thanks so much!!

Anne August 21, 2011 at 7:27 pm

I have made this recipe twice now with great results. I took the liberty to change it a bit, the oregano [hirtum] in the garden is quite potent, I only use 1/4 ts of it, also add 1/2 ts of kosher salt and 1/8 ts black pepper. DH is quite sensitive to sweet dishes [!] so I only add 2 tb of ketchup to the meat.
The glaze is Amazing, kids fight over it. As you can see, this recipe is foolproof, just like my aunts used to make!
Wonderful blog Lynne.

Tori @ The Shiksa in the Kitchen January 7, 2012 at 10:46 pm

Hi Lynne! Found your blog on the recommendation of Chef Louise as I was freaking out about making meatloaf look pretty. You’ve managed to turn meatloaf into a work of art! Beautiful and appetizing. Hope I do half as well with my meatloaf recipe tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂

Veronica Hamel October 18, 2012 at 8:37 am

Shouldn’t the vegetables and herbs be cooked in a pan first in some wine to release the flavors and then added to the meat and other ingredients and then processed in the machine? If you are chef and call it mirepoix you should know this. Scratching my head.

nnnic December 19, 2013 at 7:10 am

This tasted great, but I was wondering if anyone else found it especially watery. I mean, the loaf pan has about an inch and a bit of liquid once I pulled slices out. Should I maybe try baking on a sheet pan?

Lynne December 19, 2013 at 3:44 pm

Hi nnnic ~ Thank you so much for trying my meatloaf recipe. Yes, there are meat and veggie juices in the loaf pan when it is done. In my directions I say to decant the juices into a bowl before removing the loaf from the pan. Those juices are sooo tasty. Then spoon the juice over the slices before eating. When meatloaf is baked on a sheet pan, the juices run out and evaporate, leaving a hard dark crust that is wasted and the loaf may be dry. My way, you get to re-moisten the meat with the juice. Yum. Happy Holidays! Lynne xo

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