Tom Colicchio’s Meatloaf

I’m not going to lie.  The men-with-no-hair thing just doesn’t do it for me.  I’m not talking about men that are balding.  I’m talking about men that have zero hair on top a la Michael Jordan, Moby, Vin Diesel and the like.  But that being said, Tom Colicchio, on the other hand, is a whole ‘nother story.  He is a little drink of hotness served up with a side of sparkling blue eyes.  Never heard of him?  He’s the head judge of Bravo TV’s Top Chef and has a string of successful restaurants and cookbooks.  I don’t know what it is about him, but for him, my man-must-have-hair rule quickly goes out the window.

People magazine has been running a Meals Under $10 column, and one of the recent celeb chefs to make an appearance was Tom himself.  With meatloaf.  Love meatloaf.  Total.comfort.food.  A stick-to-your-ribs dinner one night, and a delicious lunch sandwich the next, how can one not like meatloaf?  I’ll never understand it.  I think I actually look more forward to the warm sandwiches the next day than the original dinner serving.  Toasted white bread, healthy amounts of ketchup and mayo, total yum.

Usually when I make meatloaf, I wing it.  Ground beef, a little bit of this, a dash of that, and a whole lotta something else.  I don’t measure, I just do.  But for Tom, I measured.  I poured.  I mixed.  I followed the recipe, his recipe, to the letter.  I always use a loaf pan when making meatloaf.  I never do the whole shape-it-into-a-loaf on the baking sheet thing.  But, of course, Tom wanted me to.  So I did.

When the meatloaf came out, it was bubbly and juicy and just so incredibly mouthwatering that I couldn’t wait to dig in.  As much as I love meatloaf, I’m not sure it’s the type of dish that can ever be elevated to OMG status.  I mean, really, it’s a hunk of meat.  You want it moist and juicy and you want it to taste like meat.  This does.  So does mine.  No matter which recipe you use, as long as it covers the basics (egg or other binder, meat, light seasonings, ketchup), you can’t go wrong.  If you’re looking for a recipe, feel free to use Tom’s version below.  I don’t think he’ll mind one little bit.

Tom Colicchio’s Meatloaf
Recipe courtesy of People magazine

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 lbs. ground beef (85% lean)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. ketchup

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, saute the onion in the oil until golden. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes (be careful not to burn the garlic). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3. In a bowl, combine beef, eggs, onion, bread crumbs, oregano, mustard, salt and pepper. Form a loaf (approximately 7 x 5 x 3 in. in size) and place it in a roasting pan. Cover the loaf evenly with the ketchup. Bake loaf for about 1 hour, until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Remove and allow to rest slightly, then cut into 1/2-in. slices.

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