Recipe For Meatloaf

Calorie savings: 201 per serving Fat savings: 23 grams per serving the 3 calorie cutters

1. Using a large baking pan or baking sheet, cuts 40 calories and 5 grams of fat per 2-slice serving.

2. Substituting lean ground turkey for ground beef saves 156 calories and 17 grams of fat.

3. Replacing 1 whole egg with 2 egg whites saves 9 calories and 1 gram of fat.

Method:

Draining away the fat

Preparing this meatloaf on a baking sheet or big baking pan enables the cooked fat to drain from the loaf to the sides of the skillet or sheet instead of getting absorbed into the meat as it happens when baked in a traditional loaf pan.

This technique can also be used for cooking meats like roasts and briskets. There should be around 3 inches of space around the meat and the edge of the baking pan to permit room for the fat to move away from the meat.

If you regularly cook meatloaf, roasts, or briskets, consider investing in a heavy-duty roasting pan with a rack. They range from $25-$125 and are available at cookware stores.

Try the Kaiser Bakeware Bake and Roast Pan with Rack, $25, at www.tavolo.com.

Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 1 hour

Preheat stove to 350 F. Lightly coats a 13-by-9-inch baking pan or baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a huge bowl, combine the turkey, bread crumbs, onions, 1/3 cup barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, egg whites, salt, and pepper. With your hands or a spoon, mix well until thoroughly combined.

Place meatloaf mixture in the center of the baking pan and shape into a 10-by-4-inch loaf by hand.

Spread the remaining V4 cup barbecue sauce evenly over the top of the loaf.

Bake 1 hour and let stand 5 minutes before draining fat and slicing.

Nutrition Score per serving (2 1-inch slices):

• 16% fat (3.5 g; 0.9 g saturated),
• 41% carbs (17.7 g),
• 43% protein (18.7 g),
• 0.7 g fiber.

Recipe For Meatloaf Variations

Great meatloaf should be firm and juicy, not crumbly and dry. That’s why this recipe employs an 85/15 beef blend–that is, 85 percent muscle and 15 percent fat.

Anything leaner could jeopardize the moisture factor. The addition of veal lightens the loaf, and bacon injects extra fat and flavor for balance.

Feel free to switch out the stout. Guinness is fine, but Southern Tier’s 2xStout doubles up on the beer backbone.

Troegs Java Head will add a coffee kick, and Abita Imperial Stout, aged in bourbon barrels, will charge your loaf with a roasted quality.

If you go with a chocolate stout. . .well, that’s on you, buddy.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• One medium yellow onion, diced
• One medium carrot, diced
• One medium rib celery, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
• Two garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup stout beer, such as Guinness
• 1 lb ground beef, preferably 85 percent lean
• 1 lb ground veal
• 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• Two large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Ten strips of bacon

Per serving

• 454 calories
• 30g protein
• 10g carbs (2g fiber)
• 31g fat

How To Prepare

1. In a large skillet on medium, heat the oil. Add the following five ingredients. Saute till softened, about 8 minutes. Add the stout and cook till almost dry, 4 minutes. Cool in a big bowl.

2. Preheat the oven to 375degrees F. To the bowl with the vegetables, add the beef, veal, oats, eggs, parsley, Worcestershire, 2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix.

3. Align a rimmed baking sheet with foil. On it, form the mix into a 10″x4″ loaf; drape the bacon diagonally on top, tucking the ends under. Bake it to 160degreesF (use a food thermometer), 45 to 55 minutes. Then broil it till the bacon crisps, 3 minutes or so. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice.

Feeds 8

Remix It!

Leverage the leftover meat for these boredom-busting meals that won’t pop the rivets off of your jeans.

1 The Meatloaf Mac

In a medium-size bowl, stir the mayo, ketchup, and a pinch of salt. In a large skillet on medium, warm the meatloaf, about 2 minutes aside. Cover one slice with cheese; melt slightly.

Spread half the sauce on the bottom bun; top with the cheesy meatloaf slice, half the lettuce, and the next cut. Add the remaining lettuce, pickles, and onion. Spread sauce on the top bun. Close and chow.

Feeds 1

• 529 calories
• 18g protein
• 47g carbs (2g fiber)
• 29g fat

What You’ll Need

• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tsp ketchup
• Two slices meatloaf (1/4″ thick)
• One slice of American cheese
• One hamburger bun
• 1/4 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
• Two dill pickle slices
• 1 Tbsp diced onion
• 2 Breakfast Meatloaf

Place two meatloaf slices side by side and cut a hole in the center. Heat a skillet on medium and hit it with cooking spray. Add the slices and crack an egg in the hole.

Cook till the white sets, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, season the tomato halves with salt and pepper and cut them down in the pan.

Cook until softened, 3 minutes. Plate, add parsley and enjoy with a glass of OJ.

Feeds 1

• 688 calories
• 46g protein
• 17g carbs (3g fiber)
• 46g fat

What You’ll Need

Two slices meatloaf (1″ thick)
Cooking spray
One egg
One small tomato halved
1/2 tsp chopped parsley
3 Quick Beef and Bacon Quesadilla

Heat a cast-iron grill pan or skillet on medium. Add a tortilla, followed by the cheese, meatloaf, and other tortillas. Cook until marks appear on the tortilla’s underside, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip and repeat.

Meanwhile, grab a small bowl and mix the red onion, avocado, black beans, and cilantro. Scatter this atop your cooked quesadilla.

Feeds 1

• 855 calories
• 45g protein
• 54g carbs (13g fiber)
• 53g fat

What You’ll Need

Two small tortillas
1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
One slice meatloaf (1″ thick), crumbled
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed
One handful cilantro, chopped (optional)
4 Spicy Beef Lettuce Cups

In a medium skillet on medium, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook till golden, about 1 minute. Add the meatloaf and cook until heated thoroughly for 2 to 3 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange the four lettuce leaves on a plate and divide the meat, cabbage, carrot, lime juice, and jalapeno among them.

Feeds 1

397 calories, 23g protein, 20g carbs (2g fiber), 26g fat

What You’ll Need

• 1 tsp olive oil
• Two garlic cloves, minced
• One slice meatloaf (about 1″ thick), crumbled
• 4 Boston lettuce leaves
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• One jalapeno, minced

P.S. This Recipe For Meatloaf was pre-microwave. I’ll bet some of you experienced cooks can figure out exactly how much time it would take in the microwave.

If anyone wants to experiment, please let me know how long it took.