Pressure Cooker Meatloaf

Yield: 4-6 servings
Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Today, we’re going to make a recipe that needs no introduction for most Americans. It’s a savory dish that is considered a comfort food and is usually served with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable. And this dish is known as meatloaf.

This meatloaf in pressure cooker recipe is bound to amaze some people because it’s made in a pressure cooker and is not made in the traditional way—which is in the oven. While it’s a little unorthodox, let me assure you that this dish will not only be as good as an oven prepared meatloaf but will be even better.

Why do I say it’s going to be better? That’s because I designed this recipe to be nearly grease-free. Yes, that’s right. When you pop this meatloaf out of the pressure cooker it will be moist and juicy but won’t be sitting in its own grease. Partly because of how the ingredients are assembled but also partly due to the fact that a grate is used in the bottom of the cooker. This prevents the meatloaf from sitting in its own grease during the cooking process.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pound of ground beef
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/3 cup onion (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper (finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup of ketchup
• Special Seasoning Blend (see below)
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Special Season Blend For Meatloaf:

• 1 teaspoons dried mustard.
• 1 teaspoons paprika.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme (dried).
• 3/4  teaspoons basil (dried).
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder.
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Special Note About The Hamburger For This Dish:

How well your pressure cooker meatloaf turns out really depends on the thought you place on the ingredients. And one of the first ingredients you need to really pay attention to is the type of hamburger you use.

Some people use an 80/20 hamburger and then wonder why their meatloaf turned out dry. Well, that’s because you need fat to make a proper meatloaf—one that’s tender and juicy and delicious. I always use a 70/30 hamburger and have found that contains enough fat to do the job. However, if you insist on using an 80/20 hamburger mix, then allow me to suggest that you mix in some pork sausage. Substitute about 30 percent of the hamburger with pork sausage. That will give it enough fat to cook.

And if you use an even drier meat for your pressure cooker meatloaf—like a veal or turkey—then you’ll probably need to add even more pork sausage to the mix. I once made a meatloaf using only ground turkey and it came out just about inedible. Don’t make the same mistake I did.

Instructions:

Take your hamburger and place it in a large mixing bowl. Cover it with plastic and set aside. Take a separate bowl and mix together your Special Blend of meatloaf spices. The dried mustard, paprika, salt, thyme, basil, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and turmeric. Cover the bowl and set aside.

Take out your cutting board and finely chop your onion and bell pepper. It’s also a good time to peel and mince your garlic clove. Set all of these in a separate bowl together and set aside. Turn on your pressure cooker and set it to its Saute or Browning feature. If it doesn’t have a Saute or Browning feature, then turn it on Medium-High heat and add the olive oil to it. Allow it to heat up with the lid off. When it has reached temperature, add the garlic clove in and allow it to saute for approximately 30 seconds. Now you can throw in the onions and the peppers and cook them until they’re soft. Take them out of the pressure cooker and place them in a bowl. Allow them to cool.

It’s now time to turn our attention to our hamburger. Take off the plastic from its bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the Special Seasoning, the milk, and the egg. Mix it together well. Now add the hamburger to the bowl and knead together by hand. Once it’s well mixed, add the sauteed onion and pepper mixture. Knead by hand once again. You can now add the bread crumbs, a little bit at a time. Once the mixture is firm enough to mold into a loaf, set aside.

Fire up your pressure cooker and once again set it to Saute or Brown. Once you’ve done that, place your meatloaf in the pressure cooker and brown on all sides. Use a spatula or other device to carefully remove the meatloaf from the cooker. Place a grate in the bottom of the pressure cooker and then return the meatloaf to it. Add just enough water to the pressure cooker to cover the grate by a half an inch. Now take your ketchup and pour it on top of your meatloaf. It’s now ready to be cooked.

Put the lid on the pressure cooker and lock it down. Turn it on High Heat and pressure cook it for 35 minutes. After that time has elapsed, quick release the pressure. When it’s safe to remove the lid, do so and remove the meatloaf carefully. Now you should check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. If you added any amount of pork to the mixture, then the internal temperature should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It the meatloaf only contains beef, then the internal temperature should be about 155 degrees Fahrenheit. If it hasn’t reached its target internal temperature, then place it back into the pressure cooker and cook at 5-minute intervals until it’s done.

Final Thoughts

This pressure cooker meatloaf is best served with some garlic mashed potatoes and brown gravy and with some nice steam asparagus or green beans. I usually serve it with beer but if I do choose to serve it with wine, I choose a nice Merlot, Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon. However, you can serve just about anything you want with this traditional dish.