The BEST Meatloaf Sandwiches

I dislike the word meatloaf, almost as much as I dislike the word cas*erole. It just evokes feelings of gross smooshed together items with no rhyme or reason or maybe some canned mushroom soup or something. I’m not sure why because I’m pretty sure we didn’t have these items growing up in my household but they just make me feel weird. It’s like how people hate the word mo*st. That all being said, I loveeee this meatloaf sandwich. It has fresh ingredients and is full of flavor. Plus, it has bourbon soaked caramelized onions made in our new Made In Cookware pan. Oh, and we used our lovely new paring knife from Travis Weige out of Texas to chop our jalapenos. First up, we’ll make our yummy caramelized onions. We’re making these first because you can actually store them and use them for about 3 days afterward. If you are the meal prepping type, you could whip these up on Monday and use them for a few meals throughout the week. Try them on eggs, soooo delicious. 
Adding bourbon to your onions adds such a yummy caramel flavor that is just delicious. If you don’t want to add booze to it, that’s fine but maybe add some brown sugar to still get that semi-sweet flavor. They really add to the meatloaf sandwiches, so don’t skimp on the onions. 

Then, ta-da, caramelized onions! I mentioned this before but you can definitely store these for a few days and use them on a handful of dishes. You can also make these in a cast iron skillet for that extra flavor. 

Now, on to the meatloaf! Our friends over at Sir Kensington’s sent us some yummy condiments to try so we used their delicious ketchup in our sandwiches. This NYC condiment company not only has awesome ingredients but also has a delightful story. Read more about it here! 

I cannot stress this enough. Do NOT overmix your meatloaf. Again, do NOT overmix your meatloaf! It will create tough and dry sandwiches and no one wants that. Use your hands and just mix until all ingredients are blended together. 

We also don’t use an egg to “bind” our ingredients together. I know that every grandmother might disagree with us but we don’t find it necessary because we chill our meatloaf after baking and grilling for sandwiches. Again, you can actually prep this the day before and then when you are ready to make your sandwiches, pull the fully cooked and cooled meatloaf out of the fridge. 

Then, you’ll toss in your pan and grill away! Since it’s fully cooked, you really just want to get some good color on it and warm it up. Since you are using a whole meatloaf, this makes about 6 sandwiches so it’s perfect for a whole family! I didn’t put any pictures on here but we also made a super easy and delicious homemade BBQ sauce for our meatloaf sandwiches. We tossed that on our buns, topped with the sliced meatloaf, cheddar cheese and a generous helping of bourbon caramelized onions. It takes a few steps but this wholesome recipe is a great twist on the classic meatloaf! 

Meatloaf Sandwiches, Bourbon Onions, BBQ Sauce

2018-01-04 08:16:23

Serves 3

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Prep Time

45 min

Prep Time

45 min

Meatloaf Sandwiches

1. 2 cloves garlic, chopped
2. 2/3 cup bell pepper, chopped
3. 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
4. 2 pounds ground beef
5. 1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped
6. 1/4 cup Sir Kensington's Ketchup
7. 1 tsp salt
8. 1 tsp pepper

Bourbon Onions

1. 1 Tablespoon butter
2. 3 sweet onions, sliced
3. 1/4 cup bourbon
4. salt and pepper, to taste

BBQ Sauce

1. 2 cups Sir Kensington's Ketchup
2. 2 jalapeños, diced
3. 1 Tablespoon BBQ 3000 seasoning from Penzey's
4. 2 Tablespoons honey
5. 1/4 cup Worcestershire
6. 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
7. 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
8. 1 tsp liquid smoke

Meatloaf Sandwiches

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Gently mix ground beef, garlic, bell pepper, onion and salt and pepper together until fully combined.
3. Then, add panko and ketchup and gently mix until just combined.
4. Carefully pack into a loaf pan. Bake in oven, uncovered for 40 minutes.
5. Let cool on counter for several minutes and then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours but can chill overnight, covered.
6. When ready to make sandwiches, remove loaf from pan and slice into thick pieces.
7. Grill in pan for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until fully browned and desired crispness.
8. Remove from pan and add to bread with BBQ sauce then top with cheese and caramelized onions.

Bourbon Onions

1. Melt butter in pan. Add sliced onions to pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook onions for 6-8 minutes, until softened.
2. Then add bourbon and cook down until fully caramelized, about 45 minutes. Stir every few minutes to make sure they don't stick together.
3. Serve immediately or store in fridge for 3 days.

BBQ Sauce

1. Add all ingredients into pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil the simmer for 20-25 minutes.
2. Serve immediately warm or can keep in fridge for 3-5 days.

Notes

1. You can make the caramelized onions a few days in advance and store in the fridge for up to three days.
2. You can make the meatloaf the day before and store fully cooked and cooled in the fridge until ready to grill sandwiches.
3. You can use store-bought BBQ sauce instead of homemade.

By Joel Lewis

The Beard And The Baker https://www.thebeardandthebaker.com/