Meatloaf is a classic main dish for many families, including mine. It is versatile and forgiving, so I can adapt it to fit the ingredients I have available at the time. However, it has never been one of my favorite recipes. Frankly, I usually find meatloaf pretty boring. The flavor tends to be very basic or even shallow. I end up trying to compensate for that by putting ketchup on it, or serving it with spicy or sweet side dishes. But, this week, my toddler requested “meatloaf” for dinner. It became my goal for that day to develop a meatloaf recipe that was both sweet and savory and definitely not boring. The result was a meatloaf with grape juice, multiple savory spices, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
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Recipe for the Best Meatloaf with Grape Juice
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of Ground Beef – thawed
- 1 pound of Ground Pork – thawed
- 12 ounces of Tomato Paste
- 2 cups of Rolled Oats
- 1 cup of Grape Juice
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon of Salt
- 2 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon of Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon of Onion Powder
- Drizzle of Maple Syrup
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients together until they are fully incorporated.
- Divide the mix between 2 loaf pans and level the mixture.
- Drizzle the top with a little maple syrup (1-2 tablespoons per pan).
- Bake at 375 degree fahrenheit for 1 hour (or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees fahrenheit when inserted into the middle of the loaf).
- After taking it out of the oven, let it stand for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
- Serve it in slices with a little butter.
Serving the Meatloaf
When deciding what side dishes you want to serve, almost anything goes well with meatloaf. Some of my favorite options include:
- Mashed Potatoes and Salad
- Mustard Egg Salad and Pickles
- Garlic Sourdough Bread and Salad
- Baked Sweet Potato and Green Beans
This meatloaf also works well for lunches the next day. My husband loves to eat it cold on bread and butter as a “Meatloaf Sandwich”.
Best Meatloaf with Grape Juice and Other Homestead Ingredients
I love this recipe, because most of the ingredients come from our homestead. We raise our own beef, pork, and laying chickens for eggs. We can our own tomatoes, maple syrup, and grape juice. And, I make herbed salt with herbs from my garden. The rolled oats are something I buy in 50 pound bags from our local bulk-supply grocery store.
Meatloaf for Infants and Toddlers
When it is time to start introducing meat to your little ones, Meatloaf is an instant winner. The meat is already ground up, and it tends to be moist and easy for them to chew. I cut it up into bite size pieces for my toddler, and then he will eat it with a spoon on his own. For my infant, I will either mush it between my fingers before putting it in his mouth, or I will run a slice of it through my manual food chopper and then feed it to him with a spoon. The Food Chopper works well if I want to add some salad or whatever else we might be having for side dishes.
Check out my blog post on How to Keep Babies from Becoming Picky Eaters.
YouTube Video: Best Meatloaf with Grape Juice
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Best Meatloaf with Grape Juice: Sweet and Savory Meatloaf
I wanted to develop a meatloaf recipe that was both sweet and savory. This one is adult, toddler, and infant approved.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of Ground Beef - thawed
- 1 pound of Ground Pork - thawed
- 12 ounces of Tomato Paste
- 2 cups of Rolled Oats
- 1 cup of Grape Juice
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon of Salt
- 2 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon of Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon of Onion Powder
- Drizzle of Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together until they are fully incorporated.
- Divide the mix between 2 loaf pans and level the mixture.
- Drizzle the top with a little maple syrup (1-2 tablespoons per pan).
- Bake at 375 degree fahrenheit for 1 hour (or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees fahrenheit when inserted into the middle of the loaf).
- After taking it out of the oven, let it stand for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
- Serve it in slices with a little butter.
Notes
I love this recipe, because most of the ingredients come from our homestead. We raise our own beef, pork, and laying chickens for eggs. We can our own tomatoes, maple syrup, and grape juice. And, I make herbed salt with herbs from my garden. The rolled oats are something I buy in 50 pound bags from our local bulk-supply grocery store.
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