- Rachael Ray uses milk-soaked bread to keep her meatloaf moist and tender.
- Roasted cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar offer another twist.
- Serve her cozy meatloaf with mashed potatoes or roasted veggies on the side.
Meatloaf just may be the ultimate comfort meal. The saucy, savory dish channels major nostalgia, eliciting memories of lunches in the school cafeteria and dinners at grandma’s house. And meatloaf has come a long way from the standard variety we all know and love. From Turkey & Vegetable Meatloaf to Meat Loaf ‘Muffins,’ there are all sorts of delicious ways to make a humble meatloaf the star of mealtime.
Food Network icon Rachael Ray recently shared her own take on meatloaf in an Instagram post, along with a meatloaf-making pro tip. “The secret to never having a dry meatloaf again?” Ray said in the caption. “A little bread, a little milk and a lot of patience.”
Ray starts her recipe by halving cherry tomatoes and roasting them in the oven with oregano, salt, olive oil and pepper. While those gorgeous red tomatoes are roasting for 30 minutes, it’s time to take a bite out of Ray’s bread hack: Remove the crusts from two slices of white bread and tear the slices into pieces before tossing them in a mixing bowl along with a bit of milk.
While the bread soaks in the milk, combine ground pork and ground sirloin (beef) in a bowl and mix in salt, pepper and an egg. Then, turn your attention back to the milk-soaked bread slices.
Wring excess milk out of the bread and add the bread into the meat mixture, using your fingers to mash the wet bread and distribute it through the ground meat. Then, add garlic, parsley, rosemary, onion, Pecorino cheese and nutmeg before shaping the mixture into a loaf and placing it into a loaf pan to bake.
The meatloaf bakes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour, then comes out of the oven to meet its match: the roasted cherry tomato sauce you made earlier. After spreading the savory roasted tomatoes atop the cooked meatloaf, Ray recommends drizzling a bit of balsamic vinegar over the top for an extra flavor boost.
We love incorporating fresh tomatoes into our cooking, especially because tomatoes pack benefits like cancer-preventing carotenoids, water for skin hydration and gut health-boosting fiber. What’s more, pork is rich in choline and B vitamins and ground beef is a flavorful source of protein when consumed in moderation.
The best part about whipping up a meatloaf, however, is choosing which side dishes to serve with it. Ray’s meatloaf would be delicious with sides like Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Colorful Roasted Sheet-Pan Vegetables or Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower. And if you’re looking for more Rachael Ray recipes to try this winter, we’re big fans of her Soy-Ginger Salmon & Sesame Cabbage Slaw and Spicy Honey Mustard Chicken with Potatoes and Green Beans, both of which include flavors perfect for chilly winter nights.
We can’t wait to add this delicious-looking meatloaf recipe to our own weeknight dinner rotations. After all, what’s not to like about a healthy, flavorful meal that goes with plenty of side dishes and comes together quickly? We’re sure Ray’s meatloaf will be love—or maybe loaf—at first bite.
