Egg stuffed Meatloaf with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Summer has already hit our skull and sucking our grey matters greedily. The door was ajar for the spring; summer took the advantage and now it is running through our breath. The heat is increasing rapidly and the climate is turning drier day by day. True, summer is drier here than winter. Summer is not only draining us but also it is eating up our appetite. But we must maintain the ratio of water and food intake to keep us healthy and alive. It is the time for some quick simple recipes of easily digestible food a.k.a. ‘comfort food’. So I’m handing out my favorite recipes of comfort food. Today is the turn for ‘Meatloaf’.

Meatloaf is one of those classic dishes which are always in your most favorite list and you can never make these thing better than your mom. These classic dishes don’t have any ‘follow to the T’ recipe. Every single family has their own variations and grand-mom of the family cooks the dish best. Meatloaf is nothing but a baked ground meat with/or veggies in the form (shape) of a loaf. Traditionally minced onion, carrot, celery are mixed with the meat (pork/ beef/ chicken/ lamb) along with the egg, breadcrumbs, milk and seasoning. The mixture is shaped either with hands or in a loaf tin and baked in oven. The basic recipe is very much similar to Basic Meatball Recipe.

Meatloaf is a classic dish which is equally popular worldwide. Almost every nation has its own variations for it though it is known as European dish. It is known as the best comfort dish to me; you throw whatever you’ve got in the refrigerator into the food processor; run the machine; season; pour into the loaf tin; bake; eat; sleep. Ain’t it super cool? I know it is! So I never thought of making a blog post out of it. But recently I saw something different in a magazine; that’s what I’m sharing with you all today, Egg stuffed Meatloaf. But how will you like the meatloaf without mashed potatoes?? No you simply can’t. So I had also prepared Buttermilk Mashed Potatoesto go with it.

Here is both recipes of Egg stuffed Meatloaf and Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes.

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 40 mins

Resting Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 60 mins

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

For the Meatloaf:

Ground meat (pork/beef/chicken/sausage): 500g

Onion, large: 2

Carrot, small: 1 (I used 1 baby carrot)

Jalapeno, small: 2

Green chili: 2 (optional)

Garlic: 8-12 cloves (adjust the amount according to personal preference)

Breadcrumbs: ¼ cup + 2 tbsp

Egg (raw): 1

Hardboiled egg: 4-5, peeled and cleaned

Buttermilk: ½ cup Or, equal portion of regular milk

Mustard sauce: 2 tbsp (optional)

Sriracha sauce: 3 tbsp (optional)

Salt to taste

For the Glaze:

BBQ Sauce Or, Marinara sauce : 1 cup

For the Mashed Potato:

Large potato: 2

Buttermilk: 1 cup

Garlic: 4-5

White pepper powder: 1 tsp

Salt: ½ tsp

Equipment:

Food processor

Mixing bowls

Spatula

Small saucepan

Baking loaf pan (optional but recommended) or Baking sheet

Aluminium foil

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180⁰C. Prepare the baking pan by greasing with melted butter and dusting with 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs. Make sure the minced meat doesn’t contain much water. (See Tips)

Wash, clean and roughly chop the onion, carrot, chili (if using any) and jalapeno; peel the garlic cloves. Add all the veggies in food processor/chopper and pulse for 1-2 mins to mince the veggies neatly. (See Tips)

Take a large mixing bowl and dump the minced veggies and chicken in it. Mix thoroughly with a spatula or with your fingers. Pick the option you are comfortable with. (See Tips)

Add the raw egg, mustard sauce, Sriracha sauce in the bowl and mix thoroughly. Add half of the buttermilk (or milk) with salt into the mixture and mix again.

Pour the breadcrumbs and mix to produce smooth dough. Add rest of the milk according to the need. The dough shouldn’t be either tight or runny; it should be easily pliable with bare hands. (See Tips)

Now if you are using loaf pan pour 2/3 of the mixture into the pan, tap the pan on the kitchen counter few times for distribute the mixture evenly inside the pan. If you are not using any pan, cover the baking sheet with foil and dump 2/3 of the mixture on it. Give it a shape of a loaf by using your hands. (See Tips)

Now place the hard boiled eggs on the top of the mixture and press gently downwards so that the eggs can be seated inside the loaf comfortably. Now add rest of the mixture on it and level the top with spatula. (See Tips)

Now bake the meatloaf at 180⁰C for 30 mins or until the top gets the golden color. Remove the pan/sheet from the oven and keep on the wire rack for 5 mins. If you are using the loaf pan, you need to invert the pan on a baking sheet now; so do it carefully without breaking the loaf apart.

While meatloaf is baking, keep the bbq/marinara sauce warm. Now pour ½ of the warm sauce on the meatloaf and bake it for another 10-20 mins at 220⁰Cor until the top becomes sticky and looks dark in color. (See Tips)

While Egg stuffed Meatloaf is baking, prepare the Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes. Boil the potato in a large vessel (or bake them in oven); wrap the garlic cloves in foil and bake in oven for 10-15 mins 220⁰C. Take the peeled the potatoes with the roasted garlic in a large mixing bowl and smash them with a potato masher (be careful as potatoes and garlic, both are hot enough to burn your skin). Add the buttermilk little by little at a time to the mixture while mashing to produce silk smooth puree; season with salt and white pepper. Cover with foil to keep it warm and handy.

Once Egg stuffed Meatloaf is nicely colored, remove them from oven and keep on wire rack for 5 mins to cool down a bit or until easy to handle. Carefully cut into ½” to 1” thick slices, without breaking the egg into pieces and transfer to the serving plates with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and serve immediately.

These Egg stuffed Meatloaf with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes tastes best when served hot. Serve with some fresh green salad and excess sauce if you are looking for a heavy brunch/meal. Oh Yes, a good crisp white wine will be a great complement to the dish. This recipe is also ideal for Summer outdoor picnics or for your lunchbox.

Tips:

1. Make sure meat and all other ingredients are at room temperature.

2. You can also chop the veggies with knife but choppers just make our life way too hassle-free to concentrate on other things.

3. Or you can also use food processor for the same if you have larger bowls with it.

4. You may not need the entire buttermilk/milk. So start pouring while you are mixing; when the mixture seems wet enough to hold, stop adding the liquid.

5. Again choose your option carefully. If you are using loaf pan you will need to invest it later for the recipe; if you are going with the baking sheet, you need to shape the loaf neatly.

6. Press the eggs just to set inside the mixture. Don’t push it too much otherwise the loaf will break apart during the flip (in case of the loaf pan).

7. If you find your loaf is getting darker color early, cover them with aluminum foil and continue baking.