Name: Meatloaf with Spinach
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Oil or nonstick cooking spray, for the pan; 1 pound ground beef, preferably 80/20; 1 pound ground pork; 1 pound frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry; 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs; One package (1 ounce) store-bought or homemade fajita seasoning or Texas Dry Rub; 4 ounces canned diced green chile peppers; 2 large eggs, beaten; 1 cup store-bought or homemade ketchup; 1/3 cup store-bought or homemade apricot jam; 2 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile; Chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)

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This meatloaf with spinach, made with ground beef and pork, and topped with a sweet and spicy chipotle ketchup, is an easy way to get your greens in and keep everyone happy.

A cooked meatloaf with spinach with four slices cut from it.

Adapted from Sam Zien | Sam the Cooking Guy: Recipes with Intentional Leftovers | Countryman Press, 2020

So you make meatloaf. One of the greatest foods ever. I know a lot of people are off of it. They don’t like it. I think that’s just because they grew up with crappy meatloaf. I think my meatloaf is a great meatloaf. I ended up putting spinach in the middle of this meatloaf, and it’s a whole different thing. It’s completely gorgeous. It’s maybe one of the most beautiful meatloaves I’ve ever seen in my life. It occurred to me one day, as I’m looking at a leftover big fat slice of meatloaf, what could that become? It became a meat sauce for me. I had in my fridge, some leftover roasted red pepper sauce that I made. That, I think, is one of the greatest things ever that you can make literally with a jar of roasted red peppers and a little broth and some seasoning. You’re there and you put it in a blender and you’re done.

–Sam Zien

How do i keep my meatloaf moist?

Meatloaf often gets a bad rap. But when you’ve had one that’s juicy and moist, you know better than to turn your nose up. The secret to keeping your meatloaf with spinach tender and not dried out is making sure there’s enough of the right components in there to begin with, as well as adding a little more. Use a fattier grade of ground beef as the lean stuff will crumble and be dry. Also include ingredients that are high in moisture themselves—spinach, eggs, onions, ketchup, or anything wet, really. Finally, a thick layer of glaze helps to keep everything beneath it juicy and tender.

Meatloaf with Spinach

Quick Glance
Quick Glance
20 M
1 H, 30 M
Serves 6 to 8

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Ingredients

Directions

Make the meatloaf

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Slick a 9-by-5-inch (23-by-13-cm) loaf pan or rimmed baking sheet with oil or coat with cooking spray.

☞ Tester tip: For easier cleanup, line your loaf pan or baking sheet with foil before coating with oil or cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine all the meatloaf ingredients and transfer to the prepared loaf pan, or shape into a 9-by-5-inch (23-by-13-cm) loaf and place on the prepared baking sheet.

☞ Tester tip: For a neater free-form loaf, line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and press the meat mixture into the pan. Flip the loaf pan onto your baking sheet, remove the plastic wrap, and voila, perfection!

Make the glaze

In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, apricot jam, and chipotle chile, and spread about 3/4 of it over the meatloaf. Reserve the remaining glaze.

Bake until the meatloaf is cooked through and registers 155° to 160°F (68° to 71°C) on an instant read thermometer, 45 to 75 minutes.

Remove from the oven, coat with the remaining glaze, and let cool for 10 minutes. Slice into 1-inch-thick (25-mm) pieces. Sprinkle with scallions, if using, and serve.

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Recipe Testers' Reviews

Joan Hunter Mayer

My family loves meatloaf. This version of meatloaf with spinach was a nice (and easy) adaptation to a classic. Enough of a spicy spin while maintaining texture and comfort. The tangy-sweet glaze was a delectable change to the usual ketchup—not that there's anything wrong with plain ketchup.

I also appreciated having all of the veggies without having to precook everything—a true time-saver—and the reason I'll make it again. I served this with a baked potato, braised cabbage, and soft dinner rolls. Quite a yummy comforting meal that I'll make again.

B. Shanly

This recipe for meatloaf with spinach was delicious and so quick and easy. I make a lot of meatloaf and this was by far the moistest I have ever made. It is just perfect for a weeknight meal and takes no time at all.

I didn't use a loaf pan as I always mold my meatloaf and like how my 9x13" pan bakes. The sweet and spicy glaze went perfectly with the savory loaf and the spinach added a wonderful earthy taste as well as extra moisture. I couldn’t make out the undrained chiles that much but I knew they were there and again, they added great moisture to the loaf mix.

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