By Week 494. Year 10. Tommy is 43. Fall. Hunting season approaching. The gumbo cravings starting. LSU football on the TV with Rémy on the couch arguing plays. Colette (16) in high school, painting. The season turning, the roux darkening, the days getting shorter in a way that makes the kitchen brighter by contrast.
Made smothered pork chops this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The bayou runs on.
Smothered pork chops were on my mind all week — that’s just where fall takes me — but on the nights when the light goes early and Colette’s coming in from school and the LSU post-game arguments are still going on the couch, what I really need is something that gets to the table fast without surrendering an ounce of the warmth. This 15-minute meat loaf does exactly that: it’s the same spirit as a long Sunday cook, just compressed into the shape of a Tuesday. The house still smells right. The welcome is still unconditional. That’s the whole point.
15-Minute Meat Loaf
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef (90/10)
- 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons finely minced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons ketchup, divided
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
Instructions
- Preheat. Place oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element and preheat broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it.
- Mix the loaf. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the ketchup. Mix gently with your hands until just combined — do not overwork.
- Shape and flatten. Turn the mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet. Shape into a flat rectangle approximately 8 inches by 4 inches and about 3/4 inch thick. Keeping it flat is the key to the 15-minute cook time.
- Make the glaze. Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup, brown sugar, and yellow mustard in a small bowl. Spread evenly over the top of the loaf.
- Broil. Broil for 10—12 minutes, until the glaze is caramelized and the internal temperature reads 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. Watch closely after the 8-minute mark.
- Rest and slice. Remove from the oven and let rest 3 minutes before slicing into 4 portions. Serve with mashed potatoes or whatever the night calls for.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 290 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 480mg