Bourbon Cherry Glazed Meatloaf

Just like when we were kids. Except not.

This is not-yo-mama’s meatloaf recipe. Well, maybe it is. I might not know your mama. But this isn’t the cafeteria meatloaf of our youth. Dry…bland…ketchup…No. Not that meatloaf. This is moist, flavorful, and topped with a POP of bourbon cherry glaze!

About this Recipe:

I’m a city girl, but I married into a farming family. In addition to growing corn and beans, the Koch family raises cattle. I call them Moo’s. 🙂

Big moo’s. Baby moo’s. Super cute. Here’s some moo’s.

So we always have farm-fresh beef on hand, and a decent percentage of that is ground beef. So much ground beef. Ground beef for ages.

Consequently, I’m always looking for more ways to use ground beef. So about two years ago, I decided I wanted to tackle a true American classic: Meatloaf.

Meatloaf has always been one of those meals that I never liked. It was always dry and boring and I hated the ketchup on top. (I can’t stand ketchup in general… I know, I’m weird.)

But I was determined to find a meatloaf that I liked…. The recipe below is what I came up with after searching around on the internet and pulling ideas from a handful of different recipes.

I aimed for a combination of easy, freezable, extra tasty, not “traditional”, and something that would stay moist.

My #1 Meatloaf Tip:

DO NOT MAKE IT INTO A LOAF!!

*Gasp* How can it be meatloaf if it’s not a loaf??

Trust me. The bigger and bulkier you shape the meatloaf, the longer it will take to cook all the way through. This makes it DRY. By the time the middle is cooked, the edges are way overdone.

So avoid dry meatloaf by baking it in a thin layer in a baking dish. You can use a cast iron skillet, a glass baking/casserole dish, or a cake pan! Flatten it out to be about 1.5″ – 2″ thick. It will cook MUCH faster, and stay moist and delicious!

Don’t believe me? Check out this picture of my most recent meatloaf that I made in a 9×9 glass pan. Look how moist and juicy and delicious that is! Fully cooked, yet not overdone or dry. Puddles of juicy, glaze-y goodness on the bottom. MMM. Can’t beat it.

Check out the notes at the bottom of the recipe card for more tips and substitution ideas!

I hope you enjoy my take on Meatloaf! If you have questions, please comment below. As always, I would love feedback and your reviews of the recipe!

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Bourbon Cherry Glazed Meatloaf

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

This is not-yo-mama’s meatloaf recipe. Well, maybe it is. I might not know your mama. But this isn’t the cafeteria meatloaf of our youth…dry…bland…ketchup…No. Not that meatloaf. This is moist, flavorful, and topped with a POP of bourbon cherry glaze!

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Ingredients

Meatloaf:

• 2 lb Ground Beef
• 1 c. Breadcrumbs
• 1 pkt. Onion Soup Mix
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Pepper
• 1 T. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1 c. Milk

Sauce:

• ½ c. Bourbon* (or whiskey)
• ½ c. Cherry Jam/Preserves
• ½ c. BBQ Sauce (whatever you have on hand)
• 2 T. Brown Sugar
• 1 T. Hot Sauce** (ex: Sriracha)

Instructions

1. For the Sauce, mix all the sauce ingredients in a small pot on the stove over medium heat. Allow to come to a simmer, stirring often. It will thicken in about 10 minutes.
2. While the sauce is thickening (don’t forget to stir occasionally!) put the ground beef in a mixing bowl. Break it up into pieces with a spatula or fork so that every piece can get coated with seasoning. Add the bread crumbs and dry seasonings. Mix lightly so everything is evenly dispersed.
3. In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, measure out the cup of milk, Worcestershire sauce, and the egg. Mix together until the egg is fully beaten. Add the egg mixture to the meat mixture and mix until *just* combined. Don’t over-mix.
4. Dump the mixture into a shallow baking vessel.*** Distribute the mixture on the bottom of the dish and press into an even layer, which helps it cook evenly.
5. Pour half the sauce over the meatloaf and spread it to cover the top. Do not dip/spread/re-dip because this could get raw meat in the sauce.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes. Check that the internal temperature is at least 165degrees.
7. Serve with remaining sauce (hot) on the side. Enjoy!

Notes

* The alcohol content will fully cook off. But if you aren’t a liquor fan, you can substitute with water. The sauce just won’t be quite as flavorful.


** If you don’t have hot sauce on hand, a couple dashes (1/8 tsp.) of chili powder or cayenne will do the trick. The spice helps balance out the sweetness of the sauce. This is a completely adjustable step – start with less and add more to taste.


*** A cast iron skillet is a fantastic choice. But a glass baking dish or round cake pan will work fine as well. If your pan is not cast iron, you should lightly grease it.

Tips:

• If your cherry jam/preserves have chunks, and you don’t like chunks, you can use an immersion blender to smooth the sauce. (Or pour the sauce into a blender, if you don’t have an immersion blender.)
• The sauce can be made ahead and kept in the fridge until needed. Just reheat before serving with the meatloaf.
• If you don't use all the sauce, you can freeze it for next time! It's also really good over a grilled or baked chicken breast.
• FREEZE: If you want to save time and effort by doubling the recipe, you can freeze the meatloaf before you bake it! I just mush it into a freezer bag! You can even freeze the sauce in a sandwich baggie, but I would freeze it separately (don’t put the bag of sauce in with the meat because it’ll get meat-y on the outside). Just defrost the meat in the fridge overnight, then bake like instructed above.
  

Nutrition Information

Yield 10 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 415Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 101mgSodium 561mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 1gSugar 16gProtein 28g

This Nutritional information was calculated by Nutritionix.com based on the above ingredients list, and is provided as an estimation. Actual results may vary based on brands of ingredients and measurement accuracy.

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