dinner, Main Dishes, Meatloaf, Beef & Pork, Recipes

prosciutto + leek meatloaf

This might be my favorite new recipe – this dish is decadent without being overly heavy and has tremendous flavor.

It has been far too long since I tried to rock a new meatloaf recipe. After a somewhat tough week I decided it was time to lean into my comfort food. Per usual, I had no plan so started poking around the vegetable drawer and created this new dish that Dave and I both absolutely loved.

The tender sweetened onion and caramelized prosciutto just sing perfectly together. And don’t even get me started on how much I love leeks. I pretty much throw them in everything. Leeks are the most fabulous flavor accessory to any recipe. Seriously addicting flavor bomb.

A dinner plate showing leek meatloaf with sliced carrots and mashed potatoes.

How to best cook meatloaf

While I form this recipe into two loaves you can certainly make one biggin’ or even make them personal sized into 4 little cute ones. The world is your oyster. The one thing I don’t do is put the meatloaf a loaf pan. I prefer free forming the loaves and placing them on a sheet pan to bake. This way the top and sides get nice and caramelized.

Baking in a deep pan tends to create a soggy meatloaf since it’s kind of sitting in its own juices. Adding some fat with flavor into the meatloaf mix (the prosciutto!) insures a flavorful loaf that is just perfection. Once I flipped to this method of cooking, I never went back. And…I am the meatloaf lady!

What to serve with meatloaf

I am SO pro mashed potatoes and meatloaf. It’s like Bert and Ernie or Beans and Rice. Just perfect. These creamy double-garlic mashed potatoes recipe from Alexa Weibel on New York Times Cooking is an all-time favorite. The recipe hits all the high notes you want from a mashed tot – creamy, buttery, herby and and a delightful surprise crunch from the fried garlic. YAS.

I am also partial to carrots on the side of meatloaf. My recipe for roasted carrots in duck fat with blue cheese and almonds is always a lovely contender (feel free to leave out blue cheese for less flavor bangs). But even simple grilled carrots or sliced and caramelized carrots (which is what I cooked with this recipe – in a sauté pan over low heat) was perfection.

What to make with leftover meatloaf

I’m a bit of a nut and enjoy a cold piece of meatloaf dipped in ketchup. But if you’d like something a bit more put together, a meatloaf sandwich is the way to go. You just need some squishy white bread slathered with mayo (I used Gin Mayo) and ketchup, crunchy lettuce, pickles and a couple slices of meatloaf. It’s kind of the best.

Meatloaf sandwich on white bread with lettuce, mayo, pickles and kethcup.
Meatloaf dinner with carrots and mashed potatoes

Prosciutto and Leek Meatloaf

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tbs Butter
  • 1 Chopped Red Onion
  • 1 Sliced Leek
  • 8 Pieces Prosciutto
  • 1 Pound Ground Beef
  • 1/2 Cup Panko
  • 1/2 Cup 2% Milk
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Tbs Soy Sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Fresh Ground Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Chop the red onion and clean and slice the leek.
  • Get a sauce pan on the stove over medium heat.
  • Add the butter and the red onion to the pan and cook for about 7 minutes until tender.
  • Then add the leek and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Next add the beef, panko, milk, egg, soy sauce, salt and pepper to a large bowl.
  • Add the onions and leek to the same bowl.
  • Next pull the prosciutto into smaller pieces and add to the same pan you just cooked the onions and leeks in, cook at medium heat.
  • Cook the prosciutto until it's browned (but not burned) and caramelized about 3 minutes.
  • Add the prosciutto to the bowl and mix together all the ingredients until well combined – I always use my hands, feel free to use a spoon!
  • Split the mixture into two halves and plop them onto a baking sheet.
  • Form them into two loaves and pop into the oven.
  • Cook for 45 minutes, remove and let cool for a few minutes, then serve with a dollop of creamy mashed potatoes and caramelized carrots. YUM.
Keyword Meatloaf, Meatloaf Recipe

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