Honey Barbecue Meatloaf
March 9th, 2011 § 41 Comments
I still think of food as a reward. As a happy place. And I probably always will. Even though I’ve lost seven trillion pounds, and even though I’ve reconciled years of overeating by learning that it was never really about the food, I still find food to be the most reassuring, comforting, and loving thing at the end of a day.
I don’t know about you, but growing up, food was the best past time. Bored? Cereal takes time and the milk changes color. Sad? Swiss Cake Rolls really beat away the blues (especially when eaten with friends). At the movies? Tub of popcorn, two candy bars, and a Sprite. Scared? Powdered donuts release those knots building in your stomach. You get the idea. Food was, and is, fun, reassuring, and at the very least, something to do.
Meatloaf is quintessential comfort food. It reminds me of being ten, having moved to a new town, a school, and a class of kids who didn’t necessarily want to befriend the new girl. When the classmate on my left, Emily, told me sternly, “I can only share my blue marker with you. The rest are too special to borrow,” I knew I was in trouble. What kind of school is this? What kind of community raises kids with complexes about the spectrum of marker colors? Why does everyone smell faintly of peanut butter, grape jelly, and mulch?
I was out of place. Everyone had moved on to wearing jeans, and I was still in stretch pants. Stirrups no less. I matched too well. I wore gold earrings when others had those fancy schmancy stick-on blue pearlized stars and moons. Kids were growing up and in, farther away from chubby. And I was, to put it nicely, growing outward. I was sure that a monogrammed backpack could have remedied any, if not all, of this. At the very least, a snap bracelet would have won me a friend or two. I mean, duh.
Slowly, and by slowly I mean a week into the fourth grade, I found my way into a group. Theresa, Katie, and Nicole. I made sure I was outgoing, funny, cool even. I just wanted to feel less like an outsider. When you’re new, you work doubly as hard to be likeable, to find comfort, and to bond with the new place and the new people. It’s a survival skill.
And what I remember most vividly from that time, other than the pogs and Punky Brewster, is dinner on the first night in my new town where I felt a sense of calm. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes and telling my family that I had made friends with a few girls in my class. I remember bites of meatloaf, sweet corn, and gulping milk as I told them all about how embarrassing it is to not have the 64 box of Crayola, and only the 32. I still don’t know why they didn’t get it. Yet again, duh.
My mother makes the best meatloaf in the western hemisphere. You can feel free to write off every other version you’ve tried before, and rest assured knowing that if you want tastes of comfort and love, if you want to be swaddled in delicious, then Medfield, Massachusetts is where you’ll need to go. My mother will welcome you with open arms, two sticks of butter, three dozen cookies, and no less than 42 questions of, “What can I get you to eat?” You will be happy. And full.
This is my take on meatloaf. A moist, smoky, and sweet rendition of one of my top ten favorite dishes. Daniel tells me he loves it as much as he loves me. That is to say, a lot. At least as much as his XBox.
And the best part? This tender meatloaf only requires a handful of ingredients, is a cinch to throw together, and will be one more meal in your recipe arsenal that warrants mashed potatoes and barbecue sauce.
Enjoy!
Toss one slice of soft white bread in your food processor and grind it into crumbs. The soft moisture from the bread will make for a really tender, juicy meatloaf. You can alternately use regular breadcrumbs, or panko, if you’d like.
Next, in a large bowl, use your hands to mix together 1 lb lean ground beef, the fresh bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of your favorite smoky barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard (or dijon), 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Shape the mixture into a long, thick log and place in an oiled baking dish. Be careful not to pack the meat too tightly or you’ll end up with a very dense, tough loaf.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, and 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce. Spread half of it evenly all over the meatloaf. Reserve the other half for serving.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Remove the meat from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Slice and drizzle with the reserved barbecue sauce. Serve with mashed cauliflower and salad.
Honey Barbecue Meatloaf
serves 4
1 lb 90% lean ground beef
1 slice white bread, ground to crumbs in food processor -or- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup smoky barbecue sauce, divided
2 tablespoons honey, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Toss one slice of soft white bread in your food processor and grind it into crumbs.
In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the ground beef, fresh bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, the spicy brown mustard, 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, salt, and black pepper.
Shape the mixture into a long, thick log and place in an oiled baking dish. Be careful not to pack the meat too tightly or you’ll end up with a very dense, tough loaf.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, and 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce. Spread half of this mixture evenly all over the meatloaf. Reserve the other half for serving.
Bake for 45 minutes. Slice and drizzle with reserved honey barbecue sauce.
Nutrition info for 1 serving: Calories: 310, Fat: 14.9g, Cholesterol: 58.7mg, Carb: 25.8g, Fiber: 0.7g, Sugars: 20g, Protein: 16.8g
i love adding a glaze on top of meatloaf…makes it so much tastier!
Growing up, I used to wish my Mom would make meatloaf, but she wasn’t that kind of Mom (the cooking type, you know). So now, I have this odd fascination that meatloaf is family food and I want to have it!
This post makes me want to eat meatloaf really bad! I can’t wait to try your version with the BBQ sauce!
POGS! My heart always skips a beat whenever someone makes reference to pogs, I loved them so. I wonder if my mom got rid of all of mine…That meatloaf looks awesome. I feel the same way about grilled cheese. No one makes them as good as my Dad.
Can you believe that I’ve never had meatloaf?
I still think of food as a reward and comforting. I think as long as our rewards and comforts are reasonable portion sizes and we don’t reward ourselves too often, this way of thinking can be okay.
Totally agreed. Food has so many meanings for me and as long as I’m aware of them, everything’s fine.
Andrea, that brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for the compliments.
I miss you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love Ma
DElectable! The bf attempted to make us meatloaf a few months ago and let’s just say it was the funniest meal we’ve ever had. It turned out orange and did not resemble meat at all. Half way through dinner (I was politely trying not to say how HORRIFIC it tasted) he goes “I just can’t take it anymore. This is the worst meatloaf I’ve ever had!” And we both ended up laughing so hard we were in tears talking about everything that went wrong. Long story short: epic meatloaf fail. I will try YOUR recipe next time!
Ahahaha, sometimes those recipe fails are the best memories. I made Daniel some mahi mahi tacos once and he absolutely hated them. We still talk about how awful they were!
This looks delicious! I used to LOVE meatloaf and haven’t had it in ages. I think this needs to change.
Serious Yum. Will be making. Thx
what a great twist on meatloaf, bookmarking this one!!!!
That looks awesome! My hubby is a big BBQ fan, so he’d probably like this real well.
My kids (and their friends) would argue that I make the best meatloaf, but hey, I’m happy to share the Best title with your mom. Every time I think of how disciplined you had to be to lose your weight I am inspired. Keep writing and cooking!
Adding this one to my list…
[...] AM: Workout: Swam 2800 meters PM: Sunday Dinner: Honey Barbecue Meatloaf [...]
I made this last night, and my husband and I agreed it was the best meatloaf we’ve ever had.
Thanks!
Allie! This makes me so very happy! Thanks
[...] and Cinnamon Rice with Apples Wednesday – Slow Cooked BBQ Pork w/Mango Slaw Thursday – Honey BBQ Meatloaf Friday – Buffalo Chicken Pizza Saturday – Flank Steak Tacos w/Cilantro Lime Marinade [...]
[...] Honey BBQ Meatloaf [...]
OMG…your very first paragraph – SO SO me. And I’ve often wondered if I was the only one who felt that way. I haven’t found anything that gives me as much “controlled” pleasure as the pleasure I feel when I’m eating something comforting. Thank you for sharing this recipe (and your poignant story). I know I (and family) will enjoy this. I’ve learned that sweet, smoky and tangy flavors on/over/with meat is a winning combination. Yum…
Made this two nights ago as the weather was quite cool. We loved every single morsel. I made a homemade smoky barbecue sauce and doubled the meatloaf recipe. We all found it flavorful and moist. I have been on a quest (several years now) for a meatloaf that was above average..this one is superior! It will be repeated.
I noticed the meatloaf was eggless so I was skeptical. I decided to stick with the recipe and resisted the temptation to tweak. The texture of the loaf was tender and did not fall apart. Perfect with a cheezy mac and cheese and green salad. Many thanks for sharing this delectable recipe, Andie! Winner! Dolores
Mashed cauliflower? Really?? I thought those were potatoes. Beautiful salad here too. I stumbled upon your blog when I found the black bean burger recipe. Great recipes and great stories! Should I call them stories? How about words of wisdom. You have a good way with words. They really bring me into the moment that you are sharing with us. Keep up the good work!
Am planning to make the recipe this week, but what drove me to comment most was your first paragraph. LOVE! Love, love, love!
I don’t like meatloaf. I’ve never met a meatloaf I ever really liked but this one sounded soooo freaking good! So we tried it on Monday. And it was SO amazing. It was one of those foods that you kept wanting to eat because it was THAT good, no matter how full you were. Yeah…it was a HUGE success in our house. Even with me. The only problem I had was that I didn’t pack it tight enough. I took you to heart when you said not to because it would be too dense. Mine fell apart! *L* But for my first time cooking meatloaf (and I’m 36), I’m not complaining.
Live and learn, I says! 
I’m so looking forward to having this. It’s in the oven as I leave this comment. I am a HUGE meatloaf fan, but I have to cut back because I started Weight Watchers. Fortunately, this is only 8 points on WW. I’m using a Carolina BBQ sauce. I’m hoping the sweet and tangy will blend nicely. I also tried the Mashed Parmesean Cauliflower and it was WONDERFUL! I’m going to make them for my niece and nephew so they are tricked into liking caulifower. Thanks for posting these recipes! Your story is inspiring to me.
I think I just fell in love with meatloaf all over again!
) Yummmmmm. I can’t wait to try this!
[...] recipes that I tried are the Honey Barbecue Meatloaf, and the Parmesan Cauliflower Mash. They were absolutely delicious, and I was even more excited [...]
I made this last night with the Parmesan Cauliflower Mash. The flavor on both was wonderful. However, my meatloaf just fell apart! Any ideas on how to hold it together?
Because I am single I froze a couple portions and am eager to see how they reheat.
Eggs are the secret to holding it together
[...] Taken from CanYouStayForDinner.com [...]
Have never seen a recipe for meatloaf without onions and all that junk they put in it, this sounds truly GREAT!, and i can’t wait to try it.Thanks
Delicious! We had this for dinner last night and it was a hit!! The only thing I changed was I left out the honey as I was using honey BBQ sauce and didn’t want the meatloaf to be too sweet. Very good!
Its in the oven right now and looks yummy already
OKay this was a hit YUMMMYYYY How do I pin this?
Made this one last week, and, wow, this is hands-down the best meatloaf I have ever had. Like, wow. The only substitution I made was using a sprouted grain english muffin instead of the white bread, because I never have white bread on hand. It was still perfectly moist (hate that word), so I don’t think the substitution was noticeable.
I was hoping to have leftovers to bring to work but my boyfriend had thirds (which never happens) so it was all gone.
[...] God for blogs. Specifically this one. Not only does Andie speak to my heart with her love for Leo DiCaprio and unabashed admission of being a mommy’s [...]
I made this for the first time about two months ago, and I am in love… this is my new favorite meatloaf recipe, and is pretty Weight Watchers friendly! Thanks so much for sharing.
This is easily the best meatloaf I have ever tried. Ever.
My husband has said he doesn’t like foods, and I make it my personal mission to find recipes to change his mind. WINNER!!! I always slightly alter things but I did stick with the main instructions and he LOVES this meatloaf. Plus he’s allergic to eggs so this was a win win. Fantastic recipe!