Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I grew up with meatloaf and gained a healthy respect for it; "healthy respect" in the same sense as for a tornado. The baby girl loves it, though, and it is great to freeze in small portions, so maybe I'll give Kenji a whirl to see if we can make one both of us like. I've made a free-form one from (I think) ATK family cookbook and it was... ok.

I make 3 different meatloaves -- The one Alina makes, CC's mushroom meatloaf, and CC's mini meatloaves. Honestly the Serious Eats one doesn't really seem more involved than CI's bacon wrapped one. The extra steps are pretty simple and the FP would make the whole thing go fast.

If I don't feel like using so much bacon on the bacon-wrapped loaf, I basket weave it. It slices more easily, too.

I don't know why, but Meatloaf is not one of my favorites. I like it well enough, but honestly, I think I have made a total of one or two meatloaves ever in my life. I might try this recipe just for something to make one of these days.

The CI recipe for meatloaf has been my go-to recipe ever since I first came across it in the magazine. I do not use the bacon, however, just my personal preference. I often find that the smokiness of bacon will overpower the other flavors in a recipe.
I sometimes omit preparing the glaze as well, more often than not because the prep would cut into my happy hour.
After reading Kenji-Alt's decision to omit the veal, I will try that next time.

I generally figure if a dish needs to be wrapped in bacon, then the dish needs to be changed to where it stands without introducing the bacon.

To be fair, the recipe predates the whole bacon-everything phenomenon. I've made it without the bacon (or the veal, for that matter) and it is just as good, just less bacony. I do find that the way the recipe instructs you to wrap the meatloaf uses a bit more bacon than my mouth or my wallet are happy with, which is why I use the basket-weave technique. It uses about half the amount of bacon.

Steve loves Bacon, so for him it is perfect. I've made all kind of subs, and never use the after glaze, it does not need it. I like that it is moist, slices well, keeps well and lets me play. I have made it without veal (more pork because I had it) and plan to use turkey instead of the veal next time. I've made another ATK one that called for shredded cheese in it and found it more work and not as good. I think the best part of the CI recipe is the bake on a sheet pan idea. To me the crispy parts are the best. I will look take another look at Kenji's before I write it off completely.

I also make an old C@H meatloaf burger recipe I like just as well. Quick and easy on a Calphalon grill pan with a tomato bacon relish that we love. I've topped it with hummus instead and it was just as good.

I make the CI one, or should say I used to make it, all the time. My book (the new complete one) does not have the bacon wrap addition but includes a double glaze. I don't double glaze it, too much glaze for us.
My teenagers loved meatloaf for a long time as toddlers/children but recently don't like it at much. when they were younger I'd make the m/f in muffin tins and freeze when 3/4 done then finish in the toaster oven in the morning and pop it into a thermos for lunch.

If you are thinking of making Kenji's, the important difference is his substitution for veal with gelatin and buttermilk

He also includes a large dose of umami flavors via "a concentrated base of flavors including vegetable aromatics, mushroom, and umami bombs like anchovies, marmite, and soy sauce to pump up the flavor."

I'm still thinking, hey, maybe meatloaf just doesn't need to be made. Make meat. Screw the loaf.