Delicious 5 Star Meatloaf

There is nothing sensational about meatloaf unless you happen to make this 5 Star Meatloaf recipe that’s bursting with flavor. Sick of meh meatloaf, I renovated the one I was always familiar with into something infinitely more delicious.

Why I Renovated My Meatloaf Recipe

Growing up, we were the kids that just ate what was served and didn’t complain. Maybe that’s also because we were always outside, rabble-rousing on our 100-acre grain farm. With all that activity, we were ravenous by the time dinner rolled around.

My mom made plenty of good dishes, and her concord grape pie was one of my favorite desserts, but I was never excited when meatloaf showed up on the menu. Her recipe was really simple, essentially ground beef, an egg, a bit of onion, and some oatmeal or breadcrumbs, baked in a pan with a ketchup glaze. Frankly, it wasn’t really pretty to look at on the plate and it was just so boringly, well, meaty. 

So when Matt and I got married, I did what all women do who don’t like certain foods. I didn’t cook it and I was personally just fine with that decision. Years went by without a request until our girls asked me to make Bobby Flay’s turkey version. It almost won me over with his addition of some veggies. It had way more flavor than the meatloaf I was used to eating. Once our kiddos went to college, though, it was just the two of us again. Therefore, it fell off the list of dishes to make.

Until one night we went out to dinner and Matt ordered it. Frankly, I was a little surprised. There were many other things on that menu I thought he would spring for instead. He just gave a little shrug and said, “It just sounds good to me.” Huh. And so the challenge of making a better meatloaf that I would also want to eat began.

How To Make This 5 Star Meatloaf

Here are my key pointers.

1. No loaf pan. Yes, I said it. One of the things that made me so meh about meatloaf was the unappetizing color. The only part that ever got a nice crust was the very top of that deep loaf pan. In this recipe, you’ll line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and your meatloaf will be flattened down a bit and baked on a wire rack. Why? So more of the meatloaf gets a better browning, and so the extra fat will drain off. No greasy meatloaf here!
2. Add some spices, panko, and cheese. In addition to the onion, I added a bit of fresh garlic, parsley, oregano, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper for flavor. They make all the difference. I also substituted panko for the traditional breadcrumbs and added some good quality shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I really like Tillamook’s shredded cheddar for this recipe. It’s a thicker shred that adds to the texture of this 5 Star Meatloaf. 
3. Mix up your meats. Instead of just ground beef, I used a combination of ground beef and pork. It’s much more flavorful and juicy this way. Some grocery stores have a meatloaf mix that’s already packaged in the meat section, but you can also ask for it at the butcher counter.

5 Star Meatloaf Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, such as Tassos
• 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced
• 1 pound of meatloaf mix or half a pound each of ground beef and ground pork
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup panko
• 1/8 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, such as Tillamook

How To Make 5 Star Meatloaf

• Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• In a small skillet, add the tablespoon of olive oil and the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
• Add all ingredients in a large bowl except the shredded cheddar and mix with your hands. I know it is kind of gross, but hands do the best mixing in this recipe!
• Mix in the cheddar cheese.
• Place the meat mixture onto the baking rack, gently flattening it so it’s a consistent thickness.

• Bake for 50 minutes or until the meatloaf has a golden crust on top.

• Serve with crusty French or sourdough bread and steamed green beans.

Get ready for compliments!

A Few Notes

• I highly recommend Tassos Organic PDO Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You can find it at Costco. It’s very high quality, has wonderful taste, and is from a Protected Designation of Origin. 
• If you don’t have fresh garlic, bottled is fine. I just fresh garlic to have more flavor.
• You can double this recipe easily.

I hope you love this recipe, and if you make it, let me know what you think!