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 other ingredients, meatloaf is comfort food.

I want to talk about my gravy for this dish. Sometimes I want 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 provide more details later.

I’m making this meatloaf using ground chicken. It’s leaner, and I can play around with some new flavors. This is my Meatloaf With Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yields: 6 to 8 Servings
Equipment: 1 (12-inch) sauté pan, 1  rimmed baking sheet, large mixing bowl, chef’s knife, cutting board

Ingredients for the Meat Loaf With Sundried Tomatoes:
2 pounds of ground chicken (substitute ground turkey)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 Poblano pepper, diced (substitute green bell pepper)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (not packed in oil)
2 cloves garlic, freshly-grated
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 large eggs
1/4 cup Ricotta cheese, whole milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Ketchup
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground
3 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups Italian breadcrumbs

Ingredients for the Gravy:
2 cups chicken stock, unsalted
2 cups beef stock, unsalted
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt and
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground

Side Dish: Optional
2 (15-ounce) bags of frozen petite Green Peas

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and diced peppers, and cook for 5 to 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 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. 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. This will ensure that there are no air pockets. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the internal temperature, in the middle, reads 155-160°F.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Instructions for the Gravy:
To a 3-quart saucepot, add 2 cups of chicken stock, 2 cups of beef stock, and 5 sprigs of fresh thyme. Over medium heat, bring the liquid 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 a smooth paste forms. Whisk the slurry (cornstarch/water mixture) into the saucepot with the broth (chicken/beef) until the liquid comes back to a boil, 2-3 minutes. Fish out the thyme sprigs.

There you have it, my Meatloaf With Sundried Tomatoes.

Notes:
1) *Slurry:  Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Whisk until a 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.

2)  Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

3) The side dishes are not included in the Kcal count for this recipe.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/03/12/homestyle-baked-mac-cheese/