Cracked Pepper Meatloaf with Brown Gravy
Cracked Pepper Meatloaf with Brown Gravy may be the ultimate comfort food.
Our babies loved meatloaf so much growing up that we referred to them as “Diner Boys”. Cracked Pepper Meatloaf is a little more grown up than the standard ketchup coated fare (which is delicious in it’s own right), but they’d gobble this up too.
Any meatloaf with chunks is a non-starter.
Onion pieces, celery, peppers, mushrooms? That would be a NO from our boys. Growing up, my industrious mother used a blender to basically juice the onions before making meatloaf. I am happy adding spices and powders instead. This recipe is smooth but super tasty!
This is a BIG loaf – but the leftovers are fabulous in sandwiches. Combine a little A1 sauce and ketchup to smear the bread.
Cracked Pepper Meatloaf starts with a big bowl (affiliate link). Add the eggs and beat them up a bit before adding the Montreal Steak Seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. Then mix some more. Add the breadcrumbs to the liquid and let it sit for a minute to absorb a bit of the liquid before adding the meat to the bowl.
LOW CARB VERSION
Instead of adding bread crumbs, either add Parmesan cheese or completely omit the filler. If omitting the filler, cut the eggs back to two, but complete the remaining steps as written.
Mix the meat in thoroughly, but don’t over mix – if it’s mixed in too much, it becomes too firm and solid. Nobody wants that. Form it into a loaf shape and put it on a baking sheet. I like to cover mine with some parchment or foil to make clean up a little easier.
Crack some pepper. I have a darling mortar and pestle (affiliate link) that works great, but you can crush peppercorns on a wooden chopping block using a heavy skillet if you don’t have one. A coffee/spice grinder (affiliate link) would work well too – just try to leave some chunk to the pepper.
Lay the bacon (but of course!!) over the meatloaf. Sprinkle liberally with the pepper.
Bake the Cracked Pepper Meatloaf until an instant read thermometer (affiliate link) reads at least 165 degrees F.
While you are waiting for the meatloaf to cool, make the gravy. Combine the oil in a medium pan that is heavy walled. Heat over medium high heat. Sprinkle in the flour, and combine to make a roux.
Let the roux cook, stirring occasionally.
Once the roux starts changing color, it goes fast, so keep an eye on it. When the roux reaches the color of dark caramel, add the liquid mixture. BE SUPER CAREFUL! The pot is hot, and the roux is like molten lava. Add the liquid slowly into the pan with it angled away from you.
Add some veggies and Weeknight Mashed Spuds and it’s like being at the diner! All that’s left to do is eat!
Cracked Pepper Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Ground Beef (80/20)
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
- 4 slices Bacon
Instructions
- In large bowl, beat eggs and mix in steak Seasoning, Worcestershire sauce,
and breadcrumbs. Add beef and combine, being careful to not over mix. - Free form meat into 12" long loaf (about 2" high) shape on a sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Cut bacon in half and lay on top of meatloaf.
- Crack peppercorns using a mortar and pestle. Conversely, crack peppercorns on chopping block with a heavy skillet. Sprinkle coarsely cracked pepper evenly on top of loaf.
- Bake meatloaf until cooked through, about an hour. An instant read thermometer should read at least 160 degrees when loaf is done. Let meat rest for 10 minutes before cutting to retain juices. Best served with brown gravy and weeknight mashed spuds.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Easy Brown Gravy
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 2 cups Beef base/broth or prepared beef bouillon
- Pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium high heat in a medium sized, heavy pan. Whisk in flour. Continue cooking, whisking occasionally, until roux turns dark golden brown, about 6 or 7 minutes.
- Combine broth and Worcestershire sauce. Add liquid to roux, being VERY CAREFUL. The flour/oil mixture and the pan are very hot. The liquid will jump quite a bit at the beginning. Whisk until well combined.
- Continue cooking for 5 minutes or so until thickened. Serve immediately.
12 thoughts on “Cracked Pepper Meatloaf with Brown Gravy”