Meatloaf Burgers

I recently had a reader request comfort food recipes. I thought all of my recipes were comforting, but what do I know? So I asked what sort of thing he had in mind. The answer was meatloaf and mac and cheese. Fine. Meatloaf today, Macaroni and Cheese next week.

Meatloaf is undeniably an American family favorite. There are zillions of recipes for it, and every family seems to have their own, including mine. I rarely make a whole big meatloaf anymore, though. After all, it’s usually just Princess Persnickety and me, and we have our limits. But I learned several years ago that I can use a good meatloaf mixture in a number of worthwhile ways.

One is Meatloaf Cottage Pie. We sold the heck out of that at the shop. Another is meatloaf meatballs. Glaze them with a ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce concoction, serve them with toothpicks, and I happen to know you can make a gymnasium full of Cub Scouts very, very happy. But one of my favorite off-label uses is Meatloaf Burgers.

Meatloaf Burgers are awesome. You can bake them on a broiler pan in the oven in far less time than you can cook a big meatloaf. My favorite way to cook them, though, is on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet. I can usually get a pretty good crust that way. I’ve never tried to grill them, but if you do, you probably want to use a very well-greased burger or fish basket. They’re more fragile than regular hamburgers, and prone to break if you’re not careful  We usually eat Meatloaf Burgers bunless–i.e., like hamburger steaks–but by all means, pile those babies on a bun if you like. Fixings are up to you.

You can use your own favorite meatloaf recipe for Meatloaf Burgers of course, but here’s mine in case you need it. It’s a classic tangy recipe with ketchup, Worcestershire, and Italian seasoning.

I’ve included an optional quick and easy meatloaf sauce that you can stir up in two minutes, then fiddle with to suit your tastes. But BBQ sauce will work if you prefer, and so will your favorite steak sauce. A spoonful of pizza sauce plus melted mozzarella and parmesan is delicious for a change of pace.

I have another tip, too. Make sure you make AT LEAST one more Meatloaf Burger than you think you’ll need. I know people talk all the time about meatloaf sandwiches, but I’ll go one better. One of the very best things I ever make is a leftover Meatloaf Patty Melt–on good crispy sourdough bread with lots of melty cheese.

Here’s how to do it: After it’s spent a night in the fridge, slice a leftover Meatloaf Burger in half through the thickness. Gather a ½ cup of mozzarella, sharp cheddar, provolone, Swiss, or whatever you like. If you’re not personally grating the cheese, use sliced cheese instead. Take two slices of bakery-style sourdough bread and brush one side of each with olive oil. Get everything ready before you heat up your skillet.

When the skillet is hot, lay one slice of bread in it, oiled side down. Add half the cheese. Arrange the Meatloaf Burger halves to cover the bread–overlapping is okay— and add the rest of the cheese. No skimping! Cheese is the glue. Top with the remaining piece of bread, oiled side up. Carefully flip the sandwich when the bottom side is crisp and beautifully browned. Cook the second side until it’s also crisp and beautifully browned.

How comforting is that?

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Meatloaf Burgers

Ingredients

Meatloaf Burgers:

• 1 ½ lbs. ground chuck, or 80/20 ground beef
• 1 cup panko
• ½ cup ketchup
• 3 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ T. Italian seasoning
• 1 t. dried basil
• ½ t. onion powder
• ¼ t. garlic powder
• 1 T. parsley flakes
• 1 t. salt
• ½ t. pepper

Optional sauce:

• Ketchup, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and hot sauce, all to taste

Instructions

• Combine ground chuck and all the other burger ingredients using a light hand. Form into patties.
• To pan fry: Heat a heavy skillet over medium until hot. Spray with a little cooking spray. Working in batches, cook burgers without disturbing for about 6 minutes, then flip carefully and cook the other side for 4-5 minutes. Let the burgers rest for a few minutes before serving to allow the juices to settle.
• To bake the burgers: Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease the top of a two-piece broiler pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink inside.
• To make the optional sauce, stir together the ingredients to taste.