Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf with Pickled Tomato Barbeque Sauce Recipe

This meatloaf recipe takes a favorite dish and brings some bright new flavors to the mix. All it takes is adding a few unique ingredients to a home-style favorite to enhance a dish found on many dining room tables. The key element to every meal is finding harmony between sweetness, salt, spice and acidity.Roasted red peppers and soaked stuffing mix are the perfect addition to a juicy, flavorful meatloaf. The peppers are sweet and smoky and are balanced perfectly with the barbeque sauce. While the meatloaf is sizzling in the oven start building the sauce. The barbeque sauce is sweet and acidic because of the addition of pickled tomatoes rather than just traditional vinegar. Keeping the peppercorns in the sauce brings a small amount of spice to the final dish.

Keep the leftover pickled tomatoes as a garnish or to use later. They are a great addition to salads and sandwiches.

Roasted Red Pepper Meatloaf with Pickled Tomato Barbeque Sauce

Prep Time:60 minutes
Cook time:10 minutes
Yields – Serves: 4-5

Barbeque Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
• ½ yellow onion, julienne
• 1 ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup light brown sugar

Meatloaf Ingredients:

• 4 whole red peppers
• ½ yellow onion, small dice
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup stuffing mix
• 3-5 tablespoons water
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 lb. ground beef 80/20 mix

Pickled Tomatoes Instructions:

(To be done at least one hour to one day before making the barbeque sauce)

Bring the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and peppercorns to a boil to make your brine for the tomatoes. Put the tomatoes and julienned onions in a glass container and pour the brine over them until they are fully covered. Leave uncovered and let the tomatoes pickle at room temperature for at least one hour. Tomatoes are ready to use once they are at room temperature or you can store them overnight in the refrigerator in the brine. Always drain the tomatoes before using them.

Meatloaf Instructions:

Roast the red peppers over gas flame or in the oven at 400 degrees until there is a black char around the entire pepper. Peppers are roasted best at high heat over an open flame. If you do it over an open flame use tongs and be very careful when rotating the peppers. If you are using an oven, drizzle olive oil over the peppers before roasting. When the peppers are done, immediately put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes to help aid in removing the skins. Remove the skin and black char off of the peppers by using a small paring knife and scraping it off. Remove stems and seeds and then dice into ¼ inch pieces (a little black char is ok here and preferred for a more “smokey” flavor). Set aside.

Saute the diced onions and minced garlic in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a small loaf pan (at least 2 inches deep) with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, pour water over the stuffing mix to soften the croutons until they are sponge-like. Break apart the bread with your hands.

To the mixing bowl, add the ground beef, peppers, onions, garlic and egg. Using your hands, gently mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Seasoning Tip: To check the seasoning of the meatloaf, heat a small sauté pan over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Take a spoonful of the meatloaf mixture and form into a small patty. Cook the patty in the sauté on both sides until it is heated through. Taste (preferably with the completed barbeque sauce) to check the seasoning and alter to your specific taste.

Gently pack the meatloaf mix into the loaf pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature is 130 degrees. If the top starts to brown before the desired temperature is reached, cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning.

Let the meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Barbeque Sauce Instructions:

In a small saucepan combine the ketchup and the brown sugar on medium heat. Stir until the brown sugar is dissolved.

Drain the pickled tomatoes and take half of them (with some onions and peppercorns) and put them into the sauce pan. Using an immersion blender, puree the tomatoes and onions until the sauce is smooth. Heat the sauce just before serving.

Serve the remaining pickled tomatoes as a garnish or mixed into the sauce whole.