Balsamic Meatloaf — Summer Suppers

Meatloaf is humble by nature, and that's the point. This one is kept soft with milk and a little Dijon, seasoned with thyme and Worcestershire, and finished with a balsamic glaze that turns dark and sticky in the oven — sweet, tangy, just enough to make it feel like more than a weeknight. It is the supper that makes the house smell like someone is taking care of you.

Ingredients

For the loaf

1 lb ground beef
½ cup bread crumbs
½ cup whole milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp thyme
½ tsp parsley
¼ tsp black pepper
A dash of salt

For the glaze

¼ cup ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

Heat the oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, let the bread crumbs soak in the milk for a minute or two.
Add the beef, egg, onion, garlic, ketchup, Worcestershire, Dijon, thyme, parsley, pepper, and salt. Mix gently with your hands, just until combined — no more, or the loaf turns dense.
Shape into a loaf in a pan or on a lined sheet.
Whisk together the glaze — ketchup, brown sugar, and balsamic — and spread it over the top.
Bake 55–65 minutes, until the center reaches 160°F and the glaze is dark and sticky.
Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Soaking the crumbs in milk first is the small step that keeps the loaf tender rather than tight.

"Let it rest before you cut it — a few minutes is all it needs to hold together. The glaze keeps settling as it sits, into something between sweet and savory."