Today’s Sandwich: “Leftover” Meatloaf (Homemade)

Okay, so it’s not really “leftover.” Why? Because I made this meatloaf yesterday for one reason, and one reason only: to immediately throw it in the fridge and let it get cold. As much as I love meatloaf when it is hot out of the oven, something incredible happens to it after it sits in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The texture firms up, and the flavors have more of a chance to meld. It slices beautifully into sandwiches, and makes for a satisfying lunch.

On the rare occassion that I convince Jillian to eat a meatloaf, I usually approach it much, much differently. I try to use a combination of pork, beef, and veal, maybe some spicy chorizo for good measure, with fewer breadcrumbs, and more of an eye to seasoning, with lots of fresh thyme and cracked black pepper. This is no lady-meatloaf, though (high-five). It’s barebones. It’s all beef, though I do use seasoned Panko breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs or torn up bits of bread, for extra fluffiness. I also use 90% lean beef, which still keeps things plenty juicy, and keeps the pan from turning into a holy wreck. If you’re the kind of person that likes a pan gravy with their meatloaf, use a higher fat content, so you get more meaty juices.

Because it’s single-purpose (really, how many cold meatloaf sandwiches can you eat in a week?), it’s a little on the small side. This meatloaf gets down to business. Sandwich business.

Basic Meatloaf for Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef or ground sirloin, 90% lean
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup seasoned Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• A few dashes Worcestershire sauce
• A healthy squizzle of ketchup, to taste (around 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Method:

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix with hands. Shape into loaf, and place on baking sheet. Write your name in ketchup on the top, and bake at 375 for 90 minutes.

For the sandwiches:

Cut two thinnish slices of meatloaf, being careful not to try and cut them so thin that they crumble. I like lettuce, tomato, a dab of dijon mustard, and around a tablespoon of Sriracha mayonnaise, stacked high and proud on a ciabatta roll.

Tagged as: leftovers, meatloaf, sotd

About the Author: Malcolm Bedell

My first memories of cooking start in Maine at six years old, when I wore a yellow rainslicker to avoid getting spattered by the bacon I was frying in a skillet. My interest in both Mexican cooking and recreating classic New England dishes from scratch developed while living in Mexico, on a steady diet of pork and habanero peppers. You can see more of my writing and photography online on Serious Eats, the Huffington Post, BlogHer, and Foodista, as well as in print for Downeast, Indulge, and Cigar Snob magazines.