Unexpected Ingredients That Need To Be In Your Meatloaf

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Meatloaf is an all-time American favorite dish with a complex history and various possible ingredients. Alongside ketchup and mashed potatoes, it defined an era of homemade cooking, becoming the ultimate comfort food and synonymous with childhood memories for many people. But what if you decided to be a vegetarian, developed lactose intolerance, or wanted things a little different than your mom or grandma used to make? Meatloaf's got you covered.

A versatile dish, meatloaf can incorporate virtually any type of savory ingredient and become vegetarian, dairy or gluten-free, or anything you would like it to be. Just swap or add some ingredients, and you end up with a completely new dish. In addition, you can let meatloaves from around the world inspire you. Go creative and borrow ingredient ideas from Italy to the Middle East, stay classic with a classic meatloaf recipe, or go local and use regional products exclusively. And the best part? With meatloaf, you can get as creative as you want. Just make sure you strike a balance with your ingredients. Beyond that, flavor and ingredient-wise, the sky is the limit. Check out these unexpected ingredients that can boost up your meatloaf.

Although meatloaf is a staple of American cooking, several other cuisines worldwide have variations of the dish. It appears in European cooking but also in Middle Eastern cuisines, offering different ingredients, textures, and tastes. The classic meatloaf recipe uses eggs to bind the meat mixture while baking. However, another way to use eggs in your meatloaf, as proven by Greek, German, or Hungarian dishes, is by adding hard-boiled eggs in the middle of the loaf. Hard-boiled eggs bring welcome visual and textural variations, as the bright colors of the egg ensure an aesthetically pleasing sight, and the pleasant texture of the hard-boiled egg constitutes a surprise.

To boil the perfect egg, you will need to adjust the temperature and use older eggs, making them easier to peel. Another trick for easier peeling is adding baking soda to the boiling water. Some salt and vinegar added to the boiling water will also guarantee softer egg shells.

An unexpected meatloaf ingredient that can quickly solve the moisture issue is water. Some meatloaf types (generally the healthier versions, made with minced turkey or chicken) tend to dry out while cooking, resulting in a brick texture. To avoid this, add water. The idea comes from the Italian restaurant Rao's, where the chef uses water in the meatball mixture. Meatloaf has a similar consistency as meatballs, so the principle of adding water works with this dish, too.

On the other hand, it's helpful to keep in mind that you should use water according to the ingredients in your meatloaf recipe. The mixture won't require much water if you use liquid ingredients (ketchup, eggs, sauces). Also, if you're using fatty meat, the fat will melt during cooking, and your meatloaf won't require more liquids. The trick to adding water to your meatloaf is to go with small amounts of fluid mixed with the ground meat until it is no longer sticky. If you keep adding water past that point, you will likely end up with a soggy meatloaf.

Mushrooms are another vegetable ingredient that can become part of meatloaf, and they're great in the recipe alongside ground meat (they pair well with turkey) or as the main gravy ingredient. Still, the most spectacular use is to make a vegetarian mushroom meatloaf, using only mushrooms instead of ground meat. This meatloaf has the advantage of being a lighter version, with less fat, which packs lots of nutrients, as mushrooms are rich in B vitamins, antioxidants, and potassium (per Healthline).

You can use any mushroom variety you prefer in the recipe. If you like the earthy and intense flavors, use cremini, porcini, oyster, or chanterelles. If you're not a fan of the taste and texture, use some mushroom types with milder aromas, such as button mushrooms. The mushroom meatloaf recipe comes with lots of umami, a flavor boosted by sautéing the mushrooms. The meatloaf is sure to be solid because the bread, oats, and walnuts mixed with the mushrooms are suitable binders. That way, you can easily slice it and have a nice texture. The use of earthy herbs, such as sage, thyme, and oregano, complements the earthy flavor of the mushrooms.

Potato chips are another answer to the frequently asked question: "How do you make meatloaf less crumbly?" They retain moisture and increase volume, adding a particular crunch and saltiness to the meatloaf. In this reinterpreted meatloaf recipe, potato chips are mashed into crumbs and added to the meat mixture. The recipe uses ground beef, pork, onions, garlic, an egg, ketchup, and curry powder for flavor.

But what type of potato chips should you use? Depending on your preferences, you can choose store-bought international chip brands or go local and use some regional potato chip brands. Some interesting potato chip additions to meatloaf are sour cream and onion potato chips, cheese-flavored potato chips, and BBQ-flavored chips. But, of course, it all depends on what kind of flavor you're in the mood for, as potato chips come in all possible aromas and can add a pleasant new taste and texture to your dish.

Acclaimed as the best low-fat alternative to ground beef, ground turkey can successfully become a meatloaf ingredient. According to Healthline, ground turkey's most important quality is the smaller fat percentage compared to ground beef. The only condition is to use plenty of seasoning, as turkey tends to be somewhat bland. Also, as turkey is lean meat, your meatloaf runs the risk of being too dry, but adding fat would only defeat the purpose of using a fat-free meat type. So, to ensure that your turkey meatloaf has enough moisture, try using white and dark turkey meat.

Season ground turkey with vegetables (onions), garlic, chili powder, or a hot sauce to enhance the taste. You can add bell peppers or mushrooms for a more robust veggie flavor. Some other possible combinations with ground turkey are thyme and mint. The earthy flavor of the thyme and the fresh taste of mint bring a whole new dimension to the meatloaf. Turkey meatloaf is best served with cheesy mashed potatoes or simply in a sandwich.

Bacon is the meat lover's perfect breakfast dish, and it is also delicious when added to several foods, including meatloaf. With its salty, smoky taste, bacon brings tons of flavor to any food and lends a particularly fatty texture. No wonder it is an ingredient in many recipes, including desserts. With many bacon brands to choose from, bacon can be an excellent meatloaf ingredient.

There are two ways to use bacon in a meatloaf. The most common one is to wrap the meatloaf in bacon before baking it. To do this, use raw bacon and line your meatloaf pan with bacon strips. Before pressing the meat mixture into the pan, spread some glaze over the bacon. Make sure you fold any overhanging bacon over the meat mixture, flip the meatloaf onto a baking sheet and wrap the ends of the meatloaf with bacon. Bake your meatloaf (use a meat thermometer to ensure that the interior has reached 165 F) and brush the outer layer of bacon with glaze while cooking. Another way of using bacon in your meatloaf is by adding it to the meat mixture. For this, cook the bacon first. Make sure you avoid these common mistakes while cooking bacon. Don't let the bacon become crispy if you plan to use it in your meatloaf mixture. Instead, ground the cooked bacon and add it to your usual meatloaf recipe to get that delicious flavor.

For many people, meatloaf is synonymous with beef. But on the other hand, many stores sell mixed ground meats, which they label "meatloaf mix." These usually contain beef, pork, and veal. Because cooking with veal is a personal choice, beef and pork are the most used types of meat. Ground pork is necessary for meatloaf as it comes with an essential ingredient that beef lacks: fat.

Fat is helpful in meatloaf for two reasons. First, it comes with a specific flavor that manages to complete the taste of the meatloaf. Second, it influences texture and helps keep the meat mixture moist. Your meatloaf ends up with a different (and better) flavor and texture if you use pork and cook it on a sheet pan, not in a loaf pan. A meatloaf recipe with pork and beef usually requires more beef, so the pork flavor and fat don't overwhelm. Add earthy herbs to the mixture, such as thyme, which go well with the meat combination.