28 COOK’S COUNTRY • FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
MY MOM USED to make a clas-
sic, comforting supper of meatloaf,
potatoes, and green beans on Sunday
nights. For a modern spin on this old
favorite, I wanted a version with all
the components made on a single bak-
ing sheet, so I could slide the whole
thing into the oven on a busy week-
night without another thought.
Starting with the meatloaf, I drew
on test kitchen expertise and chose
straightforward ingredients that didn’t
need precooking. For the meat, I
used beef—as straightforward as it
gets—and added a panade (or paste)
of crushed saltines and milk, which
would help the meatloaf stay moist and
tender. For extra depth, I stirred in
a little soy sauce and grated Parme-
san cheese. Fresh thyme, granulated
garlic, and red pepper fl akes added
pep, and a couple of eggs helped hold
it all together. I tried diff erent glazes
but ended up using the simplest of all:
ketchup, the perfect sweet, savory, and
tangy condiment. Delicious.
After a bit of experimenting with
diff erent types and cuts of potatoes, I
landed on small red potatoes. When
halved, they roasted to perfection on
the sheet—creamy inside and crisp and
browned on the bottoms—and were
ready at the same time as the meatloaf
(about 45 minutes at 400 degrees).
If only the green beans were as
easy to fi t into the puzzle. I tried for
a week to get them to work, but no
matter when I added them, they
cooked unevenly on the crowded
baking sheet. And no one likes a drab,
mushy green bean in one bite and an
almost raw, crunchy one in the next.
Frozen peas, those fi ckle little orbs,
fared poorly, too.
I landed on an unlikely hero:
Brussels sprouts. When roasted, these
little cabbages turn tender and sweet.
I trimmed and halved 12 ounces of
sprouts; snuggled them, cut side
down, among the potatoes on the
sheet; and roasted them along with
the meatloaf. Sure enough, they
turned out perfect—browned and
crispy outside and tender inside—and
they shrank signifi cantly enough that
I found I could bump up the amount
to a full pound to make more substan-
tial servings.
One last tweak was in order. To
brighten up the deep roasted fl a-
vor of the vegetables, I gave them a
quick toss in a lemon-parsley oil just
before serving. This was my easiest
one-pan supper yet: no fussing with
the diff erent components and no add-
ing ingredients in stages. Here’s to
hands-off comfort food with just one
pan to clean!ONE-PAN MEATLOAF WITH
POTATOES AND BRUSSELS
SPROUTS Serves 4
There are about 35 saltines in one
sleeve of crackers. Be sure to use small
red potatoes measuring 1 to 2 inches
in diameter here. Look for Brussels
sprouts with small, tight heads that are
no more than 1½ inches in diameter, as
they’re likely to be sweeter and more
tender than larger sprouts.35 square saltines
2 ounces Parmesan cheese,
grated (1 cup)
2 large eggs
¼ cup milk
¼ cup soy sauce
1½ tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1½ teaspoons granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon red pepper fl akes
Salt and pepper
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
½ cup ketchup
1 pound small red potatoes, unpeeled,
halved
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
and halved
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle
position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray rimmed baking sheet with veg-
etable oil spray.- Transfer saltines to large zipper-lock
bag, seal bag, and crush fi ne with
rolling pin. Combine Parmesan, eggs,
milk, soy sauce, thyme, granulated
garlic, pepper fl akes, ¼ teaspoon salt,
¼ teaspoon pepper, and saltine crumbs
in large bowl. Mix until all crumbs are
moistened and mixture forms paste.
Add beef and mix with your hands to
thoroughly combine. - Transfer meatloaf mixture to center
of prepared sheet. Using your wet
hands, shape into 9 by 5-inch rectangle;
top should be fl at and meatloaf should
be an even 1½ inches thick. Brush top
and sides of meatloaf with ketchup. - Toss potatoes, Brussels sprouts,
2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and
¼ teaspoon pepper together in bowl.
Place potatoes and Brussels sprouts on
sheet, cut side down, around meatloaf.
Bake until meatloaf registers 160 de-
grees and vegetables are tender and
browned on bottoms, 40 to 45 minutes. - Remove sheet from oven. Transfer
meatloaf to cutting board; let rest for
10 minutes. Stir parsley, lemon zest,
and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in
medium bowl until combined. Transfer
vegetables to parsley mixture and toss
until evenly coated. Slice meatloaf and
serve with vegetables.
ONE PANFor a finishing touch, we toss the roasted potatoes and perfectly cooked Brussels sprouts in
a lemon and parsley oil before serving them with the meatloaf.Meatloaf Dinner
There’s something nostalgic about a classic
meatloaf supper, but there’s no nostalgia for doing
lots of dishes. by Cecelia Jenkins
Cooking: The Cure for Crowding
The raw ingredients make a tight fi t. Cooking = shrinkage = room to brown.