Why This Recipe Works

After a big meatloaf dinner and a few days of leftovers, even meatloaf lovers can find it hard to polish off the last few portions. We set out to make a meaty, flavor-packed loaf that served two hungry diners with little or no leftovers. For the meat, we opted for the convenience of 90 percent lean ground beef. To add savory flavor, we chose cremini mushrooms and onion, but we sautéed them before mixing them with the meat to cook off any liquid that would make the loaf mushy and wet. To hold the loaf together, we settled on an egg and a panade made from saltines, a pantry staple that provides unobtrusive flavor and a nongummy texture. And for the cooking vessel, we reused the same skillet in which we sautéed the mushrooms and onion. Brushing on the no-cook ketchup glaze halfway through cooking concentrated its flavor and prevented it from burning. A small amount of water added to the skillet before baking the loaf kept the glaze from burning.

Before You Begin

If using a nonstick skillet larger than 10 inches in diameter, increase the water to ¼ cup in step 5.

Instructions

for the glaze

Combine all ingredients in bowl; set aside.

for the meatloaf

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Process saltines in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer to large bowl and stir in milk; set aside. Add mushrooms and onion to now-empty processor and pulse until finely chopped, about 12 pulses.

Heat oil in 10-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushroom mixture, thyme, and garlic and cook until moisture has fully evaporated and mixture is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate and let cool for 5 minutes.

Whisk egg, mustard, salt, pepper, and mushroom mixture into saltine mixture. Using your hands, mix in beef until thoroughly combined. Transfer meatloaf mixture to now-empty skillet and shape into 7 by 4-inch loaf. Bake meatloaf for 20 minutes.

Remove skillet from oven. Using pastry brush, brush top and sides of meatloaf with glaze. Add 2 tablespoons water to skillet. Return skillet to oven and continue to bake until meatloaf registers 160 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.