Meatloaf with Sweet Pepper Relish
As much as I love watching and learning from my family all of their old secret recipes. I’m a huge fan of watching cooking shows!
One day I was doing my normal routine at home. Most likely studying for an exam with the T.V. on in the background, lol.
On my television, I see the awesome Tyler Florence putting together a series of food that came from his father. I thought “Hmmm, maybe I need a males take on meatloaf?”
I was never a fan of meatloaf when my family made it... It was always “beefy”.
It tasted so savory and meaty. I felt like it was more palatable for a serious carnivore!
Maybe it’s because I did the whole vegetarian thing through middle school and high School. But this was a phase!
Even when I stopped my phase, I was turned off by the thought of meatloaf for dinner.
But when I saw Tyler Florence adding all this stuff that I never saw my family do, all of a sudden I was very intrigued! I had a Not So Pregnant food craving to make that darn meatloaf!
I have always been a firm believer of cooking meat with a mix of sautéed onions, garlic, and parsley. It’s the perfect trio to make anything taste better really.
When I saw Tyler Florence do this, I knew that his meatloaf was going to be amazing!
I have always been a person who felt that if someone else uses similar techniques with cooking, that I could happily eat over at their house and feel like I was at home.
This was no different of an experience! Except that meatloaf recipe kept shocking me with it’s secrets!
The trick to his meatloaf to make it less “beefy” was using HALF Ground Beef and HALF Ground Pork! Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner!
It just made since! Deep down in my core, I knew I was going to LOVE this meat loaf.
Then all of a sudden, he got extra flavorful at the end and added BACON! OMG!! Talk about the way to a mans heart!
But, NOT my moms heart. My moms heart is not so good, so I had to leave off the bacon.
Honestly, leaving off the bacon kept not only the calories and fat down. It also kept the grocery bill a lot cheaper!
I altered my meatloaf for budget friendly pockets & also skipped getting too piggy with it.
By all means, here is a link to original creator “Tyler Florence” if you ever want to splurge and have a meatloaf meant for kings. Because it really is amazing with the bacon on top as well. Use that for a cheat day!
But my alterations don’t make you miss that much. Especially when you can use the extra dollars needed for Dessert! :-D
For Quick Instructions on some Damn Good Meatloaf!
Watch the Video BELOW The Recipe... :-D!
Ingredients
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Green Bell Pepper. Diced
6 Mini Sweet Peppers, Diced (or 1-2 Red or Yellow Bell Pepper)
2 Cups Ketchup
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (Optional, Not shown in video)
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Pound Ground Pork
2 Eggs
3-4 slices white bread, edges removed
1/4 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Tablespoon All Purpose Seasoning
1/3 Cup Parsley, chopped
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees. Cover a cookie sheet completely with parchment paper.
On stovetop, heat a large skillet to medium heat. Heat Olive Oil in skillet
Cook Onion and Garlic for 10 Minutes until Onions are translucent
Add peppers and cook another 10 Min
Add Ketchup and (optional) Brown Sugar. Cook for 5 min till ketchup starts to thicken with the Vegetables. Set aside and let the relish mixture cool
Tear/break apart white bread into small pieces and place into a small/medium bowl
Add milk and let the milk soak into the bread
In a Large Mixing bowl, add beef and pork, then season with paprika, all purpose seasoning, parsley, salt, pepper, and 2 eggs
Take the milk soaked bread and squeeze out any excess milk, then add the bread to the bowl of meat.
Add half of the cooled down relish mixture to the meat bowl and mix everything together until incorporated.
Pour mixture onto prepared cookie sheet and mold the meat into a Loaf/Log
Cover Meat with the other half of relish
Bake for 45min - 1 hour
Half way through Baking Squeeze/squirt Extra Ketchup in a Zig Zag on top of Meatloaf
Remove cooked Meatloaf and let it rest for at least 10 min. Enjoy!!
Tips
I have to make certain alterations such as sugar usage and extra fat usage for my family at times. Feel free to go all the way and use the Brown Sugar in the Sweet Pepper Relish and the strips of Bacon on top of your loaf for the best meat loaf ever! :-D