ULTIMATE Meatloaf!

We LOVE Meatloaf at our house and I probably make it at least twice a month. There's just nothing NOT to love about a big block of meat and it makes perfect leftovers, which is always a plus with me! Since I make meatloaf so often, I'm always trying to find new recipes, so when I saw Tyler Florence make his Ultimate Meatloaf, I just couldn't resist! As with most of Tyler's recipes, I had to make some adjustments, so here's my version of his dad's Meatloaf with Tomato Relish. It turned out moist, flavorful and everything an ULTIMATE Meatloaf should be! I wonder if there will be leftovers...

Ingredients:


Tomato Relish:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c onion, finely diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 c grape tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


Meatloaf:
2 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks by hand
2 Tbsp whole milk
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 egg
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Prep:


1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.


2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bay leaf until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.


3. Place the torn white bread in a bowl and add the milk. Let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with half of the tomato relish, egg and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Add the soaked bread to the meat mixture. Mix gently only until everything is combined.


4. Transfer meat mixture to the prepared pan and top with the rest of the tomato relish. Bake for about 1 hour, until meatloaf is firm and internal temperature reaches 160°F. Remove meatloaf from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing.