OK, so you might be thinking, “Really, meatloaf is patio food?” And I would answer with a resounding “YES”! Meatloaf is a great comfort food during any season. Regardless of your locale, a lunch plate of hot meatloaf and potatoes can be enjoyed on the patio even if you are currently in a winter climate — a dry sunny day in the cool air of Autumn or Winter is the perfect environment to grab your comfort-food lunch and head outside. By contrast, a cold sliced meatloaf sandwich with mayo and sweet relish eats nicely on the patio in warmer weather with a tall glass of ice tea or, preferably, an adult beverage.
The Illusive Perfect Meatloaf
Cooking the perfect meatloaf has always been a bit of a challenge for me. I have exacting wants and standards for how a meatloaf should come to fruition. It has to be firm for slicing, especially for cold meatloaf sandwiches the day after. It has to be moist — almost creamy in texture — you know, “melt in your mouth” moist. And it has to be savory in flavor. But the perfect meatloaf eluded me. There is a saying that the definition of “crazy” is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different (better) results. I guess I was crazy ‘cause I tried the same recipe and process over and over and they all turned out subpar. I used ground beef. I baked the meatloaf in a bread pan in the oven. But I never had an acceptable result no matter how many times I tried. And then I ran across a meatloaf cooking concept that changed everything.
A Cooking Concept That Changed Everything
I read somewhere to use a slow cooker (Crock Pot) to bake your meatloaf. “What?!” you say. That was my reaction as well. But I had to try it to see if my run of bad meatloaf could end. And I’m happy to say that my era of dry, crumbly meatloaf is over. Eureka!
Now, given some dietary issues we have in our family, I use ground chicken instead of ground beef. But I can imagine the results would be the same — a firm cooked meatloaf that remains moist, has a creamy texture, slices beautifully (especially when cold) and tastes wonderful. My exacting wants and standards have been achieved!
So, let me offer you this recipe with some easy instructions. Give it a try and come on back and make a comment on how it turned out for you, whether you liked it or not, and if you modified the recipe please share.
Enchilada Sauce
The ingredients below are a doubling of the recipe as some of the enchilada sauce will go into the meatloaf mixture and some will be leftover to top the meatloaf before cooking and then to add to a slice when eating.
- 3-4 tbsp Olive oil – preferably garlic-infused but regular Virgin is OK
- 6 tbsp chili powder
- 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 cups tomato sauce (two 8 oz cans)
- 1-2 chipotle chili peppers based on your heat preference, chopped
- 2-3 cups of water
Click on each LINK below to get these featured meatloaf items from Amazon:
Colavita Garlic Olive Oil • Spicy World Aleppo Pepper • Oil Sprayer for Cooking
Meatloaf Ingredients
- 3 lb ground chicken
- 2 cups uncooked rolled oats
- 2 cans diced green chilis (two 4 oz cans)
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup enchilada sauce*
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- Olive oil – preferably garlic-infused to spray but regular Virgin is OK
* Canned enchilada sauce is OK to use, BUT, this meatloaf will be exceptional if you make you own enchilada sauce following the recipe in this blog post. If you’re going to make your own enchilada sauce, make it first before mixing up the meatloaf ingredients.
Do this:
Mix the dry spices and flour together in a bowl. Have the water and tomato sauce ready to use. Put the oil in a medium to large sauce pan and heat. With a whisk, whisk the spices and flour into the oil — it will thicken up FAST. Add a little of the water to keep it smooth and prevent burning. Add the tomato sauce and keep stirring. Add the remaining water and thicken the sauce — stop adding water when you get the sauce to the consistency you desire. The consistency should be like thick gravy or chocolate sauce. Set it aside to cool.
Next, place 2 cups of uncooked rolled oats in a food processor or blender. grind the oatmeal into a “meal” versus a fine powder. (Note: do not use commercially produced oat flour. It is too fine and will spoil your meatloaf.) It should look a little bit like sawdust.
Place the ground meal in a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and stir the ingredients to ensure it’s evenly mixed. Add the ground chicken, green chilis, egg and enchilada sauce to the bowl. Make sure your hands are clean and then mix all the ingredients in the bowl with your hands. Watch as you squeeze and tumble the mixture to see that the ingredients are evenly mixed.
To prepare your slow cooker, spray or spritz the olive oil on the bottom and walls of the slow cooker. Then, take a piece of aluminum foil (I suggest a piece twice as long as you think you need and then fold it over to double the strength) and press it down into the slow cooker making a cradle for the meatloaf to sit in. Spray or spritz olive oil on the bottom and walls of the foil cradle. This is how you will extract the meatloaf from the slow cooker when its fully cooked.
With your hands, add the meatloaf mixture into the slow cooker and pat it down so it has a flat top. Add some of the enchilada sauce to the top of the meatloaf and spread it over with a spoon to coat the top. Now you’re ready to cook. Slow cookers are notorious for being highly irregular in their heat. I jokingly say my slow cooker gets so hot on the “low” setting that you could fry an egg. So I usually cook my meatloaf about 4 hours on the low setting and then check it with an instant read thermometer. But you know your slow cooker better so adjust the cooking time as needed. The USDA recommends cooking ground chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (73.9°C) to ensure it’s safe to eat.
When done I take the cooker out of the heating unit and let it cool down a bit, maybe 15 minutes. Then I grab the foil, left and right, and pull the meatloaf out of the cooker and let it cool longer on a bakers cooling rack (leave it on the foil while it cools) until I know it will allow me to slice it. I like to serve my meatloaf with some pressure cooker steamed gold potatoes (I like their thin skin) and perhaps some steamed broccoli. And the next day for lunch? I’ll be slicing some meatloaf and toasting two slices of bread for a meatloaf, mayo, and sweet relish sandwich. I could wash it down with a glass of ice tea. Or maybe a cold beer. But most likely I’ll choose any number of adult beverages. After all, every day is Friday on the patio!
Click on each LINK below to get these featured meatloaf items from Amazon:
Colavita Garlic Olive Oil • Spicy World Aleppo Pepper • Oil Sprayer for Cooking
Meatloaf FAQ
What is the best binder for meatloaf?
- Oatmeal
- Bread Crumbs
- Pork Rinds
- Boxed Stuffing
- Cooked Rice
- Dried Soup Mix
What can I use on top of meatloaf instead of ketchup?
Some popular substitutions include: enchilada sauce, barbecue sauce, roasted tomato and dried chili sauce.
What makes meatloaf unhealthy?
The biggest issues with most meatloaf recipes are the fat, salt, and sugar. Many use ground beef that’s 80% lean or less, or fatty beef and pork mixtures. This can add a lot of saturated fat to the recipe, which can raise cholesterol and heart disease risk. Ground chicken or ground turkey is a more healthy alternative.
Please Leave a Comment
Was this information helpful? Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or tell us what we missed and can add to this post. Are you a meatloaf aficionado? Did you try this meatloaf recipe? If so, how did it turn out? Do you have another meatloaf recipe you’d like to share? Do you use your outdoor living space for activities like eating and drinking? Please share your thoughts and impressions. And tell your locale — we’re in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. Where are you?
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