BBQ Meatloaf

Meatloaf is cousin’s to the Dutch meatball. I didn’t know that until I just looked it up. HA! Meatloaf has been around for forever. Originally a German, Belgium and Scandinavian meat dish. German-American meatloaf has been around since, Colonial times in Pennsylvania. Ground beef, pork and liver were the main ingredients. Now doesn’t that sound… yummy?! I know to me, not really. Now I feel Meatloaf has come a long way since then. Meatloaf has come along way since the 1940’s, when it started to enter American home’s as a low maintenance dinner and easy for leftovers. Meatloaf became a full staple on the dinner table in homes in the 1950’s. With that being said, I feel my generation, and the generations before me leading back to the 1950’s are the generations of – No one makes meatloaf like my Mother or Grandmother. It’s one of the most debatable dishes when it comes to that. So debatable, that if you see it on a menu, it better be damn good. Am I right or am I wrong? I feel I’m right here.

When my husband, then boyfriend was at Purdue we took a day trip into Indy. We ate dinner at The Weber Grill Restaurant. I honestly forget what my husband ordered, it was probably steak. We do though, to this day still remember what I ordered. I ordered the BBQ Meatloaf with mashed sweet potatoes and grilled veggies. This was probably one of the best meatloafs I have ever had. And you know what it wasn’t, my mom’s. Now my mom’s meatloaf is good. And my dad would always eat the leftovers in a sandwich, as many do. But this meatloaf was different. It had BBQ flavors throughout each bite. Not your tomato/tomato sauce/ketchup flavors that most meatloafs had.

So once we got married, and I was able to fully experiment in the kitchen I created my own version of BBQ meatloaf. I think it has become one of his favorite dishes. I hear him every so often talk about it to others, – “You know Shayne, makes aBBQ meatloaf. It is quite tasty”. Back to my BBQ meatloaf. When I started making it I used Bison and or ground beef. I would use Bison all the time for this dish, however it’s just so expensive. But your welcome to use Ground Bison, Ground Beef, or a Meatloaf mix. I recommend to not use the meatloaf mix. I find it just ends up more dry in the end product. I use BBQ sauce two times in this. In the meatloaf and on top. My go to sauce is Stubbs Sweet and Spicy. I just find it gives the perfect balance of sweet, spicy & smokey flavors your looking for in every bite. So what I do

I pre heat the oven to 350F. I place all ingredients into a bowl. Ground beef or bison sometimes both. Green onion, red onion, dried parsley, smoked paprika, garlic, egg, parmesan, salt, pepper and Stubbs sweet and spicy bbq sauce.

I blend it all together with my hands and makes sure all the ingredients are incorporated and equally throughout the best I can. I line a loaf pan with parchment paper, with some tabs sticking out. I do this so when it is finished, it’s easy to lift out and place on a platter for serving. I then place the meat in the pan and place in the oven for about 30-40 mins until internal temp reaches 130F.

When it gets to the 30-40 min mark or 130F, I pullout the loaf. I then drizzle more BBQ sauce and spread it out over the loaf. I place it back in the oven, until the internal temp reaches 160F. I turn on the broiler and broil until it starts to lightly crisp and bubble.

When it comes out of the oven, let it sit for about 10-15 mins. It will stay warm as the loaf pan is warm and there is so much heat running through the loaf. You also want the juices to rest before cutting it. Serve with mashed potatoes of regular or sweet potato and a veggie.

Prep and cook time 1hr 15min

Serves 4

Ingredients

2lbs ground beef or ground bison or a pound of each
1/2 cup diced green onions
1/2 cup diced red onions
2 large garlic cloves minced
1 egg
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan
3/4 cup of Stubbs sweet spicy bbq sauce or any of your favorite bbq sauces. Plus more to cover the top of the meatloaf

Directions

Pre heat oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Keep some tabs sticking out so it’s easy to lift meatloaf out when finished cooking
In a large bowl blend all the ingredients together with your hands to make sure all the flavors blend well together and you get that egg fully mixed in.
Place your meat in the loaf pan.
Cook for 30-40 mins until you reach 130F internal. Take out and pour more bbq sauce on top of the meat loaf.
Put back in oven until internal temp reaches 160F. Now turn your broiler to on and broil until it starts to bubble and get a little crispy.
Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15mins to let the juices all rest into the meat. Pull out of the pan and let rest for about 5-10 mins. Then cut the loaf in 1/2 inch slices. Serve with mashed potatoes, sweet potato and veggies. ENJOY!