Honey Chipotle Meatloaf

 

I am always on the hunt for a great meatloaf recipe - nowadays, we've seemed to learn from our mothers' mistakes of just throwing a plain, unseasoned loaf of meat in the oven, and I've discovered so many tasty recipes that have changed my mind about this American staple.

This one is one of my favorites! A honey chipotle meatloaf recipe by my friend, Mary, from one of her cookbooks, The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook.   Her food blog, Barefeet in the Kitchen is filled with every recipe imaginable and whenever I'm in a dinner rut, I love perusing her site to get ideas. Check it out! 

There are dishes I make that sometimes don't hit the mark, and leftovers sadly get neglected in the fridge for days and days...

...this isn't one of them!  This meatloaf doesn't last long in my house and, honestly, I'm not sure why I don't think ahead to make two of them. It's the perfect blend of sweet, spicy and smoky from the chipotle peppers and honey.  I'll note that I do deviate from the recipe when it comes to the amount of peppers, only because my children can't handle too much spice. Otherwise, I think it's perfect the way it was written.  So if you don't have little ones or family members who can't handle spicy food, definitely follow this recipe as is.

HONEY CHIPOTLE MEATLOAF

serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS FOR MEATLOAF:

•  2 lbs. ground beef
• ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (about 1 TBSP)
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (opt)

FOR THE GLAZE:

•  ½ cup honey
• 3 chipotle peppers, minced (around 2 TBSP)
• 2 TBSP apple cider or white wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 350° and cover a large baking sheet/pan with aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Mix all meatloaf ingredients together in a large bowl with your hands, and transfer to the baking sheet.  Form a loaf (this makes it SO much easier to slice and serve than baking in a loaf pan), approximately 2 inches high and 4 inches wide.  Place in the oven's middle rack and bake for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, do not turn off the oven; it will need to bake another 30 minutes in increments.
3. While meatloaf is baking for the first 30 minutes, stir the honey glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Once meatloaf has baked for 30 minutes, take it out and brush the glaze over the top and return to the oven for 10 minutes; repeat this step 2 more times.  Meatloaf is done when the center temperature reaches 170°F on a meat thermometer, and the center is slightly pink.  Let it stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

thanks to Mary Younkin at Barefeet in the Kitchen blog for this delicious recipe!