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Meatloaf With a Little Spice and Smoke

A twist on an old-fashioned comfort dish. By adding a variety of spice and smoke this traditional casserole becomes quite a bit more interesting...and tasty!

Ingredients

For the Meatloaf

  • 2 lbs. Ground Beef, recommend 80/20% lean to fat
  • 2 Lge. Eggs
  • 1 medium Onion, finely chopped About 1 cup
  • 3 Tbsp. Cocktail sauce
  • 2 Lge. Garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 Tbsp. Fresh parsley Or 1 tsp. dried
  • 1/3 cup Evaporated milk
  • 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Salt, or to taste
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. Smoked ground paprika

BBQ Sauce for top of Meatloaf

  • 1 1/2 cups Chili Sauce or regular tomato ketchup
  • 1 tsp. Garlic granules
  • 1 tsp. Onion powder
  • 1 tsp. Smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. New Mexican chili powder
  • 1 tsp. Cumin
  • 1 tsp. Chili Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. Smoked salt A while back I smoked Himalayan sea salt on my smoker and it adds a wonderfully smoky flavor when freshly ground.
  • 1/2 tsp. Cajun BBQ salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Mesquite grilling seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. Ancho chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp. Chili de Arbol
  • 1/4 tsp. Ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. Ground allspice
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup Molasses, or to taste
  • Taste for salt, smoke, and spice. Adjust where needed.

Instructions

To Make the Meatloaf

  • Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the meatloaf. Using your hands, mix well to combine thoroughly.
  • Add the meat mixture to the prepared loaf pan and press down gently to remove any air pockets and to get an even surface.
  • Bake the meatloaf for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread a generous amount of BBQ sauce over the top of the meatloaf. Return to the oven and cook another 15-20 minutes until internal temp reaches about 160 degrees.
  • Remember that the meat will continue cooking even after its removed from the oven, but this meatloaf is so juicy, it would be hard to overcook or dry out. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes and then slice into thick slices, drizzle pan juices over the meat and serve.

To Make the BQ Sauce

  • In a medium bowl, add the chili sauce (or ketchup), molasses, brown sugar and all the spices. Mix thoroughly and taste for salt, smoke, and spiciness. Adjust as necessary. This will make more sauce than you need for the meatloaf, but its nice to have on-hand in the fridge ready for another use.