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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Meat Loaf

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.55 from 29 ratings American
Since I was a child my mother used to make delicious meat loaf for special occasions on Sundays when some family visited from far away. And I used to absolutely love it! I just couldn't wait for it to come out of the oven and to be on the table. Even the next day we enjoyed it if there was some left over. A few christmas seasons ago, we were looking after people's house while they were overseas and for that christmas we decided to make meat loaf again, my husband's recipe. Now I share this devine recipe with you, especially in this cold winter months lying ahead, this is a nice meat loaf recipe to make and get the house warm with the stove on! Enjoy this with rice, pumpkin tart or green beans with silvered almonds.
A hearty, dense homemade savoury baked meatloaf sliced clean on a serving platter.
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 h 40 m
Total 2 h
Serves 6

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Ingredients

Meat Loaf

  • 100 g carrots, diced
  • 55 g celery, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
  • 4 large white mushrooms, sliced
  • 25 g butter
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 Tablespoons tomato sauce(ketchup)
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1.1 kg beef mince
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 55 g bread crumbs
  • peas and mashed potatoes to serve

Glaze

  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato sauce(ketchup)
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • salt to taste

Method

Meat Loaf

  1. Put the vegetables into a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped, scraping down the bowl several times with a spatula

  2. Melt the butter with the oil and garlic in a large frying pan

  3. Add the vegetable mixture and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until most of the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is lightly caramelized

  4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce(ketchup) and cayenne pepper

  5. Leave to cool to room temperature

  6. Preheat the oven to 160° Celsius

  7. Lightly brush a shallow roasting tin with olive oil

  8. Put the beef into a large bowl and gently break it up with your fingertips

  9. Add the cooled vegetable mixture, salt, pepper and eggs and mix gently with your fingers for just 30 seconds

  10. Add the breadcrumbs and continue to mix until combined

  11. The less you work the meat, the better the texture of the meatloaf

  12. Put the meatloaf in the centre of the prepared roasting tin, dampen your hands with cold water and shape it into a loaf of about 15 cm wide by 10 cm high

  13. Dampen your hands again and smooth the surface

  14. Bake int the centre of the preheated oven for about 30 minutes

  15. Meanwhile make the glaze

Glaze

  1. Whisk together the brown sugar, ketchup(tomato sauce), mustard and a pinch or two of salt in a small bowl

Assembling And Further Baking

  1. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread the glaze evenly over the top with a spoon and spread some down the sides as well

  2. Return it to the oven and bake further for 35-45 minutes

  3. Remove and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes

  4. Serve with peas and mashed potato

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