Meatloaf has been around as long as there has been ground meat.  According to John Mariani in the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, meatloaf was first seen in print as early as 1899.  That’s a lot of loaf. 

For most people, two schools of thought prevail regarding meatloaf.  The first is that it is a cheap and quick means to a necessary, yet mundane end.  The other is that meatloaf—the most satisfying comfort food on the planet—provides home chefs with a culinary blank canvas that allows them to indulge their creativity and make a really special dish.  Either way, the difference in time and effort between mailing it in and making a meal to remember is so minimal there’s no reason to sleepwalk your way through it.  More so than anything else you can eat, American comfort food is food of love, sentimentality and nostalgia.  So you should do it well or don’t do it at all.

Obviously, great meatloaf starts with the meat.  As with meatballs, the best way to nail deep, rich meaty flavor is to go with a combination of ground beef, pork and veal, rather than just beef.  Trust us, the mixed combo ups the flavor ante to the point that you’ll never go back to ground round.  When dicing and sautéeing your vegetables, make sure to chop whatever veggies you use (onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot) into a very small dice and sauté until soft and translucent.  The goal is to get the fresh flavor from the veggies, not to make a crunchy meatloaf. 

Whichever recipe you use, season liberally—it is after all a large piece of meat. When blending all ingredients together and forming your loaf, avoid squeezing the meat through your fingers and handle it as little as possible to ensure a lighter and less dense final product.  And, finally, as with all cooked meats, let it rest for a few minutes when it’s finished cooking.  This will allow the flavorful juices to redistribute throughout the meat rather than leak out on the serving platter upon first slice. 

Here are three equally stellar meatloaf recipes we highly recommend: Giada De Laurentiis’s incredible stuffed meatloaf, Emeril Lagasse’s completely over the top pork-centric take and the classic version served at the East Hampton landmark, The 1770 House.  If you have your own tried and true meatloaf recipe, try Alton Brown’s insanely delicious sweet and spicy glaze sometime.  You’ll be glad you did.

So when the cold winds of fall start to blow you toward winter rain and snow, show a little love and whip up an epic meatloaf.  After all, the way to people’s hearts still and always will be through their stomachs.