Easy Homestyle Meatloaf Recipe with Onion and Peppers (2024)

FAQs

Should onions be cooked before putting in meatloaf? ›

The answer is: it depends. Onions are a great addition to meatloaf because they add a lot of flavor and moisture. Raw onions have a strong, pungent flavor and will give the meatloaf a sharper taste. However, if the onions are cooked before adding them to the meatloaf, they will become sweeter and milder.

Recipes using ground beef, peppers, and onions

To cook ground beef with peppers and onions, there are two good options. You can start by sautéing the peppers and onions in oil or butter until the peppers are soft and the onion is translucent, then add the ground beef and continue to cook together.

The Basic Meatloaf Formula

All recipes for meatloaf start with the same basic formula: 2 pounds of ground meat and a “panade” made of bread or crackers soaked in milk. Along with a few eggs, this panade helps to hold the ground meat together and adds some essential moisture to the mix.

To help your meatloaf stay together add things such as eggs, bread, crushed croutons, oatmeal, crackers, and breadcrumbs, these are all key ingredients that help meat stick together. I hope that this helps to answer your question. What are the secrets to a firm, sliceable meatloaf that slices and won't fall apart?

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered. However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.

Use olive oil first to sauté the onion and garlic. Then add the meat and cook it until it's no longer pink. It takes a keen eye here but once that last pink is gone, take it from the pan immediately and it won't dry out.

Cook for 1-2 minutes. Note we like to start cooking the pepper first (before the onion) because it takes longer for pepper to cook down to the same softness. Add the onion to the same pan and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes until it's just starting to soften.

Cut the tops off bell peppers and remove the seeds. Cook bell peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each bell pepper and set aside. Place ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until beef is browned, about 5 minutes.

Ground beef with onion is a flavorful combination called for in a number of recipes. Sometimes -- as with sloppy Joes or beef casseroles -- you can just toss diced onion into the pan with the meat while you cook it. This doesn't work for solid preparations, though, such as meatloaves, meatballs and hamburgers.

A chef's secret trick to making an amazing meatloaf is to use a mixture of ground beef, pork, and veal for a more flavorful and moist texture. Another trick is to use a combination of fresh and dried herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, and parsley, to enhance the overall taste.

Why do you put milk in meatloaf? ›

Milk and other dairy products, like heavy cream and buttermilk, contain both water and fat, adding two types of moisture to our meatloaf. There's a long-held theory that milk can tenderize ground meat, and this is the reason often cited for cooking ground meat in milk to make a Bolognese-style ragù.

The oven temperature is typically set at 350 degrees F for making meatloaf. That's the temperature you want to be sure to use so the meatloaf cooks and doesn't dry out. Too high, and the outer crust will burn before the interior is cooked all the way, too low and you don't get that delicious crust.

Fewer eggs will create a denser and firmer meatloaf that will be more compact and easier to slice, but more eggs can create a more tender and light texture that allows the meatloaf to melt in your mouth.

I later learned how I could avoid this problem and make a fully smooth meatloaf by pre-cooking any vegetables, especially the onion, before adding them to the ground meat. This way the meatloaf gets the flavor without the rawness -- a method from the smart people at Cook's Illustrated.

Preferably brown the beef, remove then cook onions. However if you don't want to remove food from the pan, reverse and start the onions the add beef. Onions can withstand more cooking and benefit from longer cooking.

Onion is the first to go in the pan because it needs time to become translucent, meaning it's cooked, which takes about 10 minutes.

Food Director Amira Geory backs this trick, saying: “Adding raw onion to marinades not only adds flavour, but it also tenderises the meat. I find that the finer the onion is, the better it works, so sometimes I actually grate the onion. Just be sure to use a ceramic or glass bowl when marinating.”