Classic Meatloaf Recipe

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the carrot celery onion red bell pepper mushrooms and garlic in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped almost to a puree. Place the minced vegetables into a large mixing bowl and mix in ground chuck Worcestershire sauce and egg. Add Italian herbs salt black pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix gently with a wooden spoon to incorporate vegetables and egg into the meat. Pour in bread crumbs. With your hand gently mix in the crumbs with your fingertips just until combined about 1 minute.

Form the meatloaf into a ball. Pour olive oil into a baking dish and place the ball of meat into the dish. Shape the ball into a loaf about 4 inches high by 6 inches across.

Bake in the preheated oven just until the meatloaf is hot about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in a small bowl mix together brown sugar ketchup Dijon mustard and hot sauce. Stir until the brown sugar has dissolved.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven. With the back of a spoon smooth the glaze onto the top of the meatloaf then pull a little bit of glaze down the sides of the meatloaf with the back of the spoon.

Return meatloaf to oven and bake until the loaf is no longer pink inside and the glaze has baked onto the loaf 30 to 40 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loaf should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Cooking time will depend on shape and thickness of the meatloaf.