The recipe I am sharing with you is one of my family’s all-time favorite comfort foods: meatloaf served with a side of steaming, buttermilk mashed potatoes. For us, this is typically a cold-weather recipe, and, since the temperatures dipped this past weekend to give us a first sense of fall, it is exactly what my kids (and husband) asked for when they were all home.
The story behind this meatloaf
I have been making this recipe for a very long time. I clipped it (and slightly adapted it) from a magazine about 20 years ago because I was intrigued by its history. The original recipe was from the post-World War II era, when people were trying to stretch a Sunday meal for the whole family using only a few, basic staples. Because of this, the recipe does not include hard-to-find ingredients or fancy toppings. I like that simplicity and sense of nostalgia!
How to cook it
Most meatloaf recipes call for cooking the meat pressed into a loaf pan. If you shape the meat into a loaf on a baking sheet or dish, however, you get more flavor because the sides are now exposed to the oven heat and the topping and the meat caramelize nicely, imparting a wonderful flavor and texture to this otherwise humble dish.
What to serve with the meatloaf
A delicious meatloaf, tender in the middle and caramelized around the edges, practically begs for a big pot of fluffy, buttery, mashed potatoes. This recipe, for buttermilk mashed potatoes, comes from Ina Garten and is full-proof. The secret here is not only the buttermilk, but also the method of mashing the potatoes, as explained in the recipe. Warm, cooked potatoes need gentle handling in order to become light and creamy.
Besides the potatoes, any simply-cooked green vegetable would be a great addition as a side dish. This delicious meatloaf with buttermilk mashed-potatoes is the perfect dish for everyone who loves a good meat and potato meal!
- For the meatloaf:
- 3 TBSP. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 3 green onions, minced
- 1 medium celery rib, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs (about 4 slices of bread)
- 2 TBSP. prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 lbs. ground beef (chuck)
- 2 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup ketchup for topping
- For the mashed potatoes:
- 3 pounds boiling potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
- ½ cup whole milk
- 4 oz. butter (1 stick)
- ¾ to 1 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
- 2 tsp. salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- To make the meatloaf: Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the olive oil and then the onions and the celery. Sauté the vegetables for about 8-10 minutes, or, until they are soft, stirring every so often. Remove from the heat to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, the milk and the bread crumbs. Add the horseradish, the dry mustard, the ¼ cup of ketchup, and the cooled vegetables. Stir well to combine. Next add the ground chuck, salt and pepper and mix everything together until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Shape the meat mixture into a free-standing loaf and place it on a 13”x 9” rimmed baking pan, lined with parchment paper. Spread the ½ cup of ketchup evenly over the meatloaf and place it in the oven. Bake the meatloaf for an hour or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf reads 160°F and the meatloaf is cooked through. Remove it from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Use a wide, metal spatula to lift the meatloaf gently out of the pan to a serving plate. Cut it into thick slices and serve.
- To make the mashed potatoes: In a large pot, bring plenty of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. While the water boils, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1½-inch cubes. Add them to the boiling water and bring the water back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.
- While the potatoes boil, heat the whole milk and the butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn’t boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.
- As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Place a food mill over a heatproof bowl. Pass the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher (these two methods of mashing potatoes produce the fluffiest mashed potatoes.
- As soon as the potatoes are mashed, stir in the hot milk-and-butter mixture with a rubber spatula. Add enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy. Add the salt and the pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot.
2. To keep the potatoes warm, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water for up to 30 minutes. You can add a little extra hot milk to keep them creamy.
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How much ground chuck do you use for this meatloaf?
I use 2 lbs. of ground beef (listed under ingredients for meatloaf). Let me know how it turns out when you make it Mary!
This was amazing! I’ve had this saved and finally decided to make it since my horseradish was going to go bad. I used about 2.4 pounds of 93% beef, left out the green onions and celery (didn’t have any), and used 1 cup of packaged bread crumbs bc 2 cups seemed like a massive amount. So so good, thank you!
I am so happy you made this comforting recipe and that you liked it! It is one of my family’s favorite recipes!