"u got the look" Southern meat loaf

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Classic Southern meatloaf recipe kicked up with a twist. Your favorite salsa is added to seasoned ground beef for a comforting holiday meat loaf or easy no fuss weeknight dinner.

This meatloaf is moist on the inside and highly flavored with an amazing ketchup based glaze. The salsa is used in both the glaze and the meatloaf for added flavor and moisture. It not only tastes good, but looks jest as good.

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MEATLOAF INGREDIENTS

• Ground Beef or Chuck
• Eggs
• Onions
• Bread Crumbs
• Parsley
• Ketchup
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Salsa
• Brown Sugar
• Salt
• Pepper

SOUTHERN MEATLOAF COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the meatloaf

Add the eggs to the ground beef and mix in. Then add spices, onions, parsley, bread crumbs, Worcestershire Sauce, and salsa.

Mix all the ingredients well then shape into your preferred mold. Use your hands or use a bowl to shape. Place molded meatloaf into baking dish.

Make the glaze

Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and remaining salsa in a bowl. Apply the glaze on top of the meatloaf.

Bake the meatloaf

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place meatloaf on the middle rack uncovered and bake 30 minutes.

Remove the meatloaf. Turn oven to highest broil settings and place the rack on the top level. Add the meatloaf and broil 5-10 minutes until glaze caramelizes.

COOKING CONSIDERATIONS

Southern meatloaf goes well with classic mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and green beans.

Avoid lean ground meat. Lean meat equals dry meat loaf! Go for higher fat ground beef.

The wet ingredients (salsa, eggs, and Worcestershire sauce) play important roles. Besides flavor, they are essential moistening agents.

Dice the onions as evenly as possible so there is consistency in texture throughout the meatloaf.

For additional flavor saute your vegetables first.

Don't tightly pack your meatloaf into your baking dish. Make sure there is ample room around the meatloaf. If packed too tight the loaf will actually "steam" and thus rob you of both texture and flavor.

Make sure the meat has fully reached room temperature before cooking.

Choose your favorite salsa or hot sauce. I used a homemade Caribbean style hot sauce, but it packed some heat. A good tomato-based salsa works well. If you have one you really like then use it.

Southern meatloaf recipes typically call for diced bell peppers, but I chose to forgo them since the salsa I used had green chilis in it.

Don't overmix the meatloaf, or handle too heavy-handed. Doing so will disturb the texture and lead to a more rubbery loaf that is tough to chew.

Rest time is as essential as the actual cooking so don't be in too much of a rush to cut into the loaf.

To freeze the whole meatloaf and reserve for later consumption, wrap it tightly in a couple of layers of aluminum foil and then either place in a large freezer bag or use a vacuum sealer. To reheat let it thaw in the refrigerator over night then, sit out to achieve room temperature status, then slowly heat in the oven at around 275 degrees.

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