Meatloaf is really comfort food at its best. What is better than meatloaf? Meatloaf meatballs! This recipes tells you how to make both from the same mixture. I’m a big fan of making more than I need since it is doing the same work for double recipe. That means I can put something in the freezer to easily pull out one night when I need a quick meal.
Meatloaf (Bulk recipe)
Ingredients
2 pounds of ground beef (top round or sirloin)
1 pound of pork sausage (Wegmans sells 1 pound tubes that are labeled gluten free)
½ cup of gluten free bread crumbs
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ of a red onion, grated
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
½ cup of milk
2 eggs
½ cup of ketchup
1/8 cup of balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons of honey
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all the ingredients up to and including the eggs. Make a small patty and cook it, so you can taste for seasoning. Repeat with more seasoning if needed.
For Meatloaf: Once seasoned to your liking, split the meat mixture in half. Form two loaves of meatloaf. Place them on a metal cooling rack over a baking sheet. Make the sauce by mixing the ketchup, balsamic vinegar and honey together in a small bowl. Pour a couple of tablespoons of sauce over each loaf, then brush to cover. Cook in oven for 50 to 70 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 160 degrees (FDA Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures). Take out of the oven and brush again with sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes and asparagus or polenta and green beans.
For Meatballs: Once seasoned to your liking, make one and a half to two inches in diameter meatballs. Heat a large skillet with about a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Sear each meatball and place on a metal cooling rack over a baking sheet. Cook in oven for about 20 minutes. Check your largest meatball close to the center and make sure it is cooked through. Serve with the sauce for dipping. Tip: you can keep the meatballs warm by placing them in a slow cooker on warm or low with a little beef stock (enough to cover bottom of pot, not meatballs).
You can make either of these methods to feed a crowd or make one of each and freeze half. I know, I know, some of you don’t like making such big batches 😉 Make a 1/2 batch and let me know how it turns out!
For my family, it works for me to cook in large batches when I have time, so for those many times that I cannot cook, we have something delicious and homemade to pull out of the freezer.
As a family with a child who has celiac disease, our take-out options are limited and often more expensive, so having easy meals in the freezer are a life saver for our busy lifestyle. It helps that we have a large deep freezer in the garage. What are your go to bulk meals?
Meatloaf scares me but the meatballs sound like a great idea. I used to be so good about doing soups in large batches and freezing
It is the first time I have made meatloaf in a couple of years. The family was asking for it. I like the meatball version more 😉 I do however make a mean Greek meatloaf with ground chicken, that I based my Greek Meatballs on, that is good for making gyros.
I love meatloaf! I agree that is a comfort food for sure. I have tried a lot of meatloaf recipes. I will have to give this a try. I love the meatball idea.
I brought the meatballs to a potluck and they were definitely a hit! Let me know how they turn out if you make them 🙂
I love cooking in batches too – I put them in the freezer and pop them out on days I don’t feel up to cooking! Those meatballs look yummy.
Thank you! It is so nice to have great food in the freezer when you don’t feel like cooking!