These probably should be called meatloaf balls – they’re so perfect for individual servings – make them as small or large as you’d like. Then brush with a tomato glaze.
As I mentioned in my last post, I offered to take dinner to 3 people (one couple and a single) a few weeks ago, and after seeing what other people were taking to the couple, I suggested meatloaf. They said “YES.” Normally I’d make mashed potatoes, but I’d noticed that 2 other meal-helpers had taken them mashed potatoes, so I suggested rice or pasta. RICE was the answer. My single friend Melida doesn’t care what I bring her – she’ll eat anything I make, God bless her!
This recipe for meatloaf contains some different ingredients (which was why it interested me). Dijon mustard for one, and smoked paprika, for another. Some meatloaf recipes use Worcestershire, but in this one there’s a bit more than usual. The original recipe came from Smitten Kitchen, and Deb talked about her aversion to meatloaf, so she invented these meatballs that stand in for meatloaf. Loved the idea. I’ve made that type before. One of the best parts about making these large rounds is that they cook faster than a single, big loaf type meatloaf – these in 25 minutes or no more than 30.
Now Deb made hers to nestle on the top of a mound of browned butter mashed potatoes. I didn’t go that route, but there was no difference in the meatloaf part of the recipe in any case. You mix up ground beef and ground pork (Deb used all beef) along with a bunch of finely diced and cooked onion, carrot, celery and garlic. She used bread in hers, but since I’m trying to not eat carbs, I upped the number of eggs, and it worked just fine. Also in the meatloaf is a jot of tomato paste, salt, pepper and chopped parsley.
Meanwhile, you make your own topping. I really, really liked the tomato glaze – it’s a type of sweet/sour sauce that’s not all that sweet (used only 2 teaspoons of honey for about 2/3 cup of sauce). You combine tomato paste, cider vinegar, the honey, more Worcestershire, Dijon and salt and bring it to a simmer. Bingo. Done. As you can see from the photos, first I formed the meatballs (I had 2 pans of them since I increased the quantity some), then spread them with the glaze. Into a 350°F oven they went and I began testing the internal temp at about 20 minutes. You want an internal temp of 160°F.
Next time I make these I’m going to double the sauce and will glaze the meatballs a 2nd time during the baking. As you can see from the finished photo, some of the sauce kind of slides off. It might be better also, to flatten the tops of the meatballs – that way the sauce would stay put. So I have changed the recipe below to achieve those things. Deb actually makes a kind of groove in the middle of her meatballs (which maybe accomplished the same thing as flattening the top) so the glaze stayed put.
Since I made extra, I have 4 meatballs in my freezer now and I put a dollop of extra sauce in some plastic wrap and put that on top of the frozen meatball so it’ll be available to glaze mid-way when I bake them next. To freeze them, I did brush the glaze on them, put them on a plastic-wrap lined baking sheet, put them in the freezer that way, then once they were frozen I put the little package of extra sauce on top, then wrapped each meatball individually in plastic wrap and then into a Ziploc freezer bag. When I defrost I will remove the sauce package before allowing them to defrost – so the plastic wrap doesn’t pick up the sauce that’s ON the meatball already.
What’s GOOD: Altogether delicious meatloaf/meatball – loved the hint of smoked paprika in this, and although you couldn’t taste the Worcestershire or Dijon, you know there is something else interesting in them to give them extra-good flavor. Even without adding bread or some other carb (oatmeal) this meatloaf is very light in texture. This recipe is a winner and I’ll be making these again and again.
What’s NOT: nothing other than the prep work, but there isn’t that much to do.
printer-friendly PDF and MasterCook 15/16 file (click link to open recipe)
* Exported from MasterCook *
Tomato Glazed Meatballs
Recipe By: Adapted from a recipe on Smitten Kitchen
Serving Size: 10
GLAZE:
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil — or olive oil, or avocado oil
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup cider vinegar
4 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
MEAT:
1 tablespoon olive oil — or avocado oil
1/2 medium onion — minced
1 medium celery stalk — minced
1 medium carrot — minced
2 cloves garlic — smashed and minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 pounds ground beef — ground chuck preferably
1 pound ground pork — lean
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup Italian parsley — finely chopped
1/3 cup milk
1. Make the glaze: Combine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan, and simmer, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes until and glaze is satiny smooth. Remove about 1/3 of the sauce to glaze the meatloaf balls when they come out of the oven. Use the larger portion to glaze before and during baking. Set aside.
2. Prepare the meatballs: Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat 2 9×13-inch baking dishes with nonstick spray or oil.
3. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot to a large skillet over medium heat, coated with oil. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool before adding to the meat mixture.
4. In a large bowl combine the eggs, tomato paste, Dijon, smoked paprika, Worcestershire, salt and milk. Mix this thoroughly with a whisk (it will distribute better when you add the meat), then add the cooled vegetables and the meat. Stir the ingredients together with a fork or your hands until evenly blended.
5. Form the meatloaf mixture into about 10 meatballs. Arrange in baking pan. Gently flatten the top of each meatball (so the sauce won’t drain off). Drizzle or brush each meatball with about 2 teaspoons or so of the tomato glaze you made earlier, and bake until cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a cooked meatball will register 160° to 165°F). Pause half way through and glaze the top of the meatballs again with the sauce.
6. Brush the reserved tomato glaze on top of each meatball and serve with more chopped parsley if desired.
Per Serving: 654 Calories; 53g Fat (73.5% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 234mg Cholesterol; 649mg Sodium.
hddonna
said on September 24th, 2018:
I like the idea of a glaze that’s less sweet, and the smoked paprika sounds like a great addition–I’m always trying to find small ways to change up my meatloaf flavors. Sounds really good!
Do you follow the recipes on Food52? I have for years (a blog) and I just read this morning about a recipe-winner as part of a contest on hamburgers. The winner used her meatloaf recipe to make burgers. I saved the recipe because I want to try it. Whether I do the burger or the meatloaf first, I’m not sure. Go to this link and I believe you can get back to this gal’s original meatloaf recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/3583-umami-meatloaf-burger . . . carolyn t
hddonna
said on September 25th, 2018:
Thanks! I’ll check it out. After reading your post, I was in the mood for meatloaf, but this time I used my usual recipe. I like to change it up a little, though, so seasoned it with the smoked paprika and some thyme (substituted for the sage called for). I was hesitant to use the tomato glaze because my son really likes ketchup and bacon on top, and it was kind of a welcome-back dinner for him, as he was just arriving home from a trip.
I don’t follow Food52 regularly, but I do use the website sometimes, and I have digital copies of a couple of their cookbooks. My daughter put me onto them. They do come up with some great recipes!