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Food & Recipes

The Secret to the Tastiest Meatloaf Is Sitting on Your Bar Cart

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Bloody Mary mix isn’t just for brunch anymore. Give your mom’s beloved meatloaf recipe a tangy twist with this unexpected ingredient. The bar cart staple will add a delicious zest and zing to any meatloaf — and your family won’t be able to get enough of it.

Meatloaf is a great weeknight meal option, but it’s all too easy for this delectable dinner to turn into a big pile of mush. Instead of drowning it in ketchup to add flavor, we recommend sprinkling in some Bloody Mary mix with the bread crumbs before you pop the meat in the oven. The salty, spicy taste will amp up the flavor. If you really want an extra kick, you can also add the mix to the ketchup before coating the top of the meatloaf.

If Bloody Marys aren’t your thing, there are still plenty of secret ingredients you can add to your meatloaf to make it shine. We also love making meatloaf on Sundays, so you can toss in all the leftovers you’ve accumulated that week. Bacon, veggies, hard-boiled eggs, creamy mashed potatoes, or chunks of cheese will instantly add wow factor to your meal. Heck, you could even wrap it in puff pastry before baking for a buttery crust. This isn’t your typical go-to dinner anymore!

Another cooking trick we love when it comes to meatloaf is to ditch the loaf pan. Instead, opt for a larger dish, like a 13-inch-by-nine-inch pan. This way, there’s plenty of room around the edges for the grease to drain away, preventing your meatloaf from getting soggy. Plus, the sides will get nice and crispy rather than just the tops. Yum!

Is anyone else suddenly starving right about now? Sounds like it’s time for a trip to the grocery store! We just ask that no matter how you make your meatloaf, you save a piece for us.

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