Meatloaf is a favorite in my house. I’m always trying to reintroduce new flavors into my meatloaf. Whether I’m trying different types of ground meat or adding different ingredients, meatloaf is comfort food. This is my Meatloaf With Sun-Dried Tomatoes.
I want to talk about my gravy for this dish. Sometimes I like to make a gravy that’s more in the style of an Au Jus. What I mean is, it’s more on the brothier side than a thicker style gravy. I’ll get into more detail later in the post.
I’m making this meatloaf with ground chicken. It’s leaner and I can play around with some new flavors. Let’s get started.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yields: 6-8 Servings
Equipment: 12-inch sautépan, 1 rimmed baking sheet pan
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 red and yellow bell pepper, diced
1 Poblano pepper diced, (substitute green bell pepper)
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves grated garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 large eggs
1/4 cup Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup half and half
5 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Ketchup
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 3/4 cups seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
2-pounds of ground chicken (substitute ground turkey)
Gravy:
2 cups unsalted chicken broth
2 cups unsalted beef broth
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Side Dish: 2 15-ounce bags frozen Petite Green Peas
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and diced peppers, cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft but not browned. Set aside to cool.
Place all the ingredients, from the list above, into a large mixing bowl adding the breadcrumbs last. Mix together until you get the consistency of wet sand. To that add the cooled sautéed onions and peppers and the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Mix to combine.
Finally, add the meat. With clean hands, gently toss the mixture together, making sure it’s combined but not compacted.
Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet pan. Transfer the meat mixture over to the lined sheet pan. Pat the meat into a flat rectangle and then press the sides in until the meat forms a cylinder down the middle of the pan. The will ensure there will be no air pockets. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the internal temperature, in the middle, reads 155-160-degrees F.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Directions For Gravy:
To a 3-quart saucepot add 2 cups unsalted chicken broth, 2 cups unsalted beef broth, and 5 sprigs of fresh thyme. Over medium heat, bring the liquid up to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, add 4 tablespoons of cornstarch to 4 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk together until smooth paste forms. Whisk the *slurry (cornstarch/water mixture) into the sauce pot with the broth (chicken/beef) until the liquid comes back up to a bubble, 2-3 minutes. Fish out the thyme sprigs.
*Slurry: Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Whisk until smooth paste forms. Add the slurry into the hot, simmering liquid you want to thicken. 2 tablespoons per cup will give you a thicker, more gravy-like consistency.
