One of the difficulties that home cooks encounter is finding different food combinations. No matter how long we have been doing this, we, the household chefs still run out of recipes to try.
One day I just found myself cooking some meatloaf for the family and thinking, “What goes with meatloaf?” Have you ever asked yourself this question? It may be silly and random, but it is something important.
If you are a mother, a father, or even a house help, your goal is always to satisfy the people you serve.
With this, you have to be creative in preparing your meals. So, I have done a little bit of research for myself and other meatloaf enthusiasts out there. Let me narrow down a few helpful tips and suggestions for you.
About Meatloaf
Meatloaf has always been one of the staples in any American dining table. Restaurants and diners all over the US “key cities” have it on the menu. It is, no doubt, an all-time favorite.
There is no one story about how people from the olden days discovered the basic meatloaf recipe. It goes back to the idea of the original Italian meatballs.
They say some Italians have traveled and brought their meatball recipes to the northeast. And since they think rolling the balls took a very long time, they had to improvise.
They thought of just forming it into the shape of a loaf. True enough, the production has become faster that way.
Now, there are tons of different versions of meatloaf out there, and people can’t get enough of it. Mothers in various households have their recipes to boast about too. So what makes each one different?
Thespruce.com shares a few of the “meatloaf issues” that people are usually having when noting the differences.
For instance, the filler of the meatloaf differs in texture and consistency depending on the cook’s preferred ingredients. Some use bread crumbs while others use rice.
And then there is a debate between using eggs, so the mixture doesn’t break off during cooking or baking. Some people think putting eggs affect the overall texture and make it hard.
Lastly, there is always the decision of using one or different types of meat in the recipe. It is the main component in this dish after all, so it does matter.
But, aside from these factors to consider, another important thing to prepare for is the side dish. It makes a lot of difference in your meal, I tell you. So, let us move on to the meatloaf’s best partners.
What Goes with Meatloaf?
- Vegetables
- Sauces
- DIY sides and recipes
Adding vegetables as a side is usually a no-brainer. Anyone, even someone who doesn’t have the slightest idea about cooking, can do it. The usual veggies that come with steak or baked chicken can be good with meatloaf too.
The usual ones that are used are green beans, sweet peas, carrots, and potatoes. Tossing broccoli or asparagus in some butter and garlic would be enough already. But if you want to go the extra mile and bake or roast potatoes, feel free!
And yes, you can also mash the potatoes all you want and drown it in gravy. That’s one of the best pairing ideas, but one that contains lots of carbohydrates too.
There are tons of different sauces you can add to your meatloaf. I am pretty sure you do not want it dry and lonely.
There’s always the classic mushroom gravy. There are lots of ready-made sauce pouches in supermarkets and grocery stores.
There are even powdered ones wherein you only need to add hot water, and it’s ready to go. You can just sauté the mushrooms in butter or oil, and they’ll be perfect for the gravy.
Yes, you read that right. You can always do a little experiment and make your own! As I said, there is a wide variety of recipes that are already out in restaurants. You can ditch your traditional recipe and level things up.
For instance, there is a recipe for a bacon-wrapped meatloaf with barbecue glaze from The Spruce. You might even be surprised to see sweet, sour and spicy combinations. Just do your research or follow your taste buds’ instincts.
Conclusion
And that’s about it in what goes with meatloaf. This article just shares a few insights on how meatloaf has evolved over the years. The recipes today do seem more interesting to try. And that is a good thing.
So if you are up to it, try all these sides and sauces. If you have any comments, suggestions, or queries, feel free to air them out below. We could exchange stories and recipes here.
You may also read interesting ideas from the home cooks themselves in quora.com and homesteadingtoday.com. Happy meatloaf cooking!
Laura Smith
I'm Laura, I like all the kind of delicious grilled foods which makes me hungry all the time I see them. That's why I built this blog to share with you all of my Grilling experiences, recipes, and all the tips about foods that I've learned from food experts.