Description
Hearty Italian-style Parmesan meatloaf brings comfort and rich flavors to dinner tables across kitchens. Home cooks savor this classic dish that combines ground beef, herbs, and cheese into a satisfying meal you’ll want to share with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) lean ground beef (7% or less fat)
- 2 egg whites (or 1 whole egg)
- 1 cup onion (finely chopped)
- 1 cup white mushrooms (finely chopped)
- 1 stalk celery (finely chopped)
- 1 carrot (peeled and finely chopped)
- 3 tbsps ketchup (plus more for brushing on top)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup quick cooking or old-fashioned oats (not instant)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves (not ground thyme)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder (or 1 tsp minced fresh garlic)
- 2 tsp canola oil (for sautéing vegetables)
Instructions
- Preparation: Warm the oven to 350°F and ready a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Vegetable Sauté: Gently caramelize mushrooms, onions, carrots, and celery in a skillet over medium heat until softened and translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
- Mixing Components: Combine cooled vegetable blend with ground beef, rolled oats, egg whites, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Fold ingredients gently with a fork, maintaining a light touch to prevent meat from becoming dense.
- Forming Loaf: Craft a compact, uniform meatloaf shape, ensuring even ingredient distribution and consistent texture. Optional: Glaze the surface with additional ketchup for enhanced caramelization.
- Baking Process: Transfer the formed meatloaf to the prepared pan and roast for 60-75 minutes, monitoring until the internal temperature reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer.
- Resting and Serving: Allow the meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes, enabling juices to redistribute, then slice and serve warm.
Notes
- Veggie Prep Power: Sauté vegetables thoroughly to release moisture and enhance flavor depth, preventing soggy meatloaf texture.
- Mixing Mastery: Handle meat mixture gently to avoid tough, dense results – use light touch when combining ingredients.
- Temperature Precision: Using a meat thermometer ensures food safety and perfect doneness, preventing undercooked or dry meat.
- Resting Ritual: Allowing meatloaf to rest redistributes internal juices, creating a more tender and flavorful final dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 213
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 419 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg