Supermarkets carry a wide range of jarred tomato salsas, and my favorites are the roasted tomato varieties. In addition to being great with chips, these salsas can make a great addition to meatloaf recipes. This meatloaf recipe is fairly traditional, but the usual tomato ketchup has been replaced with delicious roasted tomato salsa.
Makes 8 Servings of Roasted Tomato Salsa Meatloaf
Makes 8 Servings of Roasted Tomato Salsa Meatloaf
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1/2 cup finely diced carrots
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1/2 cup roasted tomato salsa
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 clove minced garlic
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3/4 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch of cayenne
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup roasted tomato salsa
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
Preparation:
In a sauté pan, over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl: add the ground beef, the vegetables, and all the remaining ingredients except those for the glaze. Mix gently with your hands until everything is just combined, and then STOP. Do not over-mix! Remember, you still have to form the mixture into a loaf, which requires additional handling.
Lightly grease the bottom of a shallow roasting pan with a few drops of oil. Wet your hands with cold water and form the meatloaf mixture into a loaf shape, about 6 inches wide, by about 3 to 4 inches high. Wet your hands again and smooth the surface so there are no cracks, which can cause a loss of moisture.
Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the salsa and brown sugar in a small bowl for the glaze. After 30 minutes, remove the meatloaf from oven and evenly spread the glaze over the top with a spoon. If you like, you can paint a little of the glaze on the sides, but most of it should go on the top.
Put back in the oven and continue baking until you reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees F. This should take another 35 to 45 minutes. Do not over cook. A good digital thermometer is the best tool for this procedure. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl: add the ground beef, the vegetables, and all the remaining ingredients except those for the glaze. Mix gently with your hands until everything is just combined, and then STOP. Do not over-mix! Remember, you still have to form the mixture into a loaf, which requires additional handling.
Lightly grease the bottom of a shallow roasting pan with a few drops of oil. Wet your hands with cold water and form the meatloaf mixture into a loaf shape, about 6 inches wide, by about 3 to 4 inches high. Wet your hands again and smooth the surface so there are no cracks, which can cause a loss of moisture.
Bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the salsa and brown sugar in a small bowl for the glaze. After 30 minutes, remove the meatloaf from oven and evenly spread the glaze over the top with a spoon. If you like, you can paint a little of the glaze on the sides, but most of it should go on the top.
Put back in the oven and continue baking until you reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees F. This should take another 35 to 45 minutes. Do not over cook. A good digital thermometer is the best tool for this procedure. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.