Talk about the ultimate dinner-to-lunch meal! Find a good meatloaf recipe and you've got yourself a fantastic Sunday dinner (your mom would be proud!), plus lunch for the week. We've been craving meatloaf and its sandwich iteration for a while now. As far as lunches go, this might just be the endgame. Don't you agree?
Meatloaf done right is a beautiful thing. It's soft and chewy, definitely not mushy or (shudder) rubbery. Every bite is deeply seasoned with herbs and a bit of thick savory sauce. It's the kind of thing that you can't stop eating until your plate is clean and you're mopping up the leftover sauce with a dinner roll.
In a sandwich, leftover meatloaf takes on a whole new life. Its soft texture is contrasted by the crusty toasted bread and crunchy greens. It's deep savoriness does well with a spread of spicy brown mustard and maybe a few slivers of red onion.
We like a relatively thin slice, maybe a half an inch. We'll warm it up or eat it cold, depending on the weather and our mood. This is way better than lunch meat from the deli counter!
Here are a few meatloaf recipes we can't wait to try:
• Classic Meatloaf Sandwich from Martha Stewart
• Meatloaf with Barbecue Blackberry Sauce from food52
• Turkey Loaf with Balsamic and Rosemary from Food Loves Writing
Or, of course, you can create your own using following this handy step-by-step guide!
What do you like on your meatloaf sandwiches?
Related: How to Make a Pressed Sandwich without a Sandwich Press!
(Image: Martha Stewart)
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I must give a shout-out to one of my favorite vegetarian loaf recipes: The Hungry Tiger's Cheese and Nut Loaf.
http://redfox.typepad.com/hungry/2005/10/cheese-and-nut-loaf.html
I love it cold on sandwiches, usually just with a bit of ketchup. And with a food processor, it's very easy to make. I bake it in my tea loaf pan from King Arthur, makes a perfect size slice for sandwiches.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/tea-loaf-pan
I love the Food Loves Writing recipe that you linked, but I'd STRONGLY recommend two modifications - reduce all of the liquids by 1/3, and use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. We've made it twice, and both times it has taken dramatically longer to bake than is called for in the recipe.
I love meatloaf sandwiches. So much!
While the version I'm familiar with looked nothing like that gorgeous shot, this post makes my heart ache a little, picturing my Mom packing our lunchboxes, and us all (Mom included) being excited that it was a "special" lunch because we had leftover meatloaf from the night before. :)
I blogged almost the exact same thing recently--meatloaf seems so wintery, but actually I think it's a really handy thing to make to have on hand for picnics and other sandwich needs. I use my mother-in-law's UBER simple recipe, and the key is to bake it in a 9x9 pan instead of a loaf pan. A flatter meatloaf with more surface area is delicious and not soggy.
I love the light turkey meatloaf recipe from Gourmet. It uses nearly a pound of mushrooms. Delicious!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Turkey-Meatloaf-107599
I agree completely. A meatloaf sandwich is a divine thing.
Mmm, yes. The real thing or fake meatloaf (aka cottage cheese or nut loaf) sandwiches with some cheddar and ketchup. Hot or cold.
Ummm weird. I didn't read this until this morning, but last night for dinner- we made meatloaf and put it in the fridge JUST so we could have meatloaf sandwiches right away. Haha!
One of the main reasons I make meatloaf is for the cold meatloaf sandwiches the rest of the week. A touch of ketchup on one slice of bread, and a touch of mayo on the other. Heaven.