Mediterranean meatloaf with spicy-sweet harissa tomato sauce and sumac parsley salad

Making meatloaf exciting and even a little bit sexy

Hi, friends. I don’t know about you, but meals that I can make once and eat over and over again throughout the week have been top of mind lately. Things that reheat beautifully and can be eaten in a few different ways, so I never have to think too hard but also never get bored.

A lot of times, that’s meatballs. You don’t get that weird reheated meat flavor with meatballs, and I eat them on salads or sandwiches or just on their own with some pickles on the side. But then recently I saw one of

Caroline Anderson

’s videos on Instagram documenting what she cooks for her meal delivery service in Baltimore, and she mentioned meatloaf. Meatloaf, I thought. Haven’t had that in at least a decade.

Intrigued at the idea of eating meatballs in a slightly different form, I went off looking for recipes and tried making a few different loaves, all pretty good but pretty much identical in terms of ingredients and flavors.

What if I made meatloaf, but with kufteh flavors? Kufteh is, in the most simplistic sense, Middle Eastern meatballs. They can take on a lot of different forms, but a stuffed version I grew up eating are loaded with allspice and nuts and Aleppo pepper — all things that I thought could really elevate a humble loaf.

And reader, they sure did.

Tell me more

I’m calling it Mediterranean Meatloaf, and we’re not just stopping at the loaf itself.

I never liked the ketchup glaze on meatloaf so I ditched that and paired this “naked” meatloaf with a spicy-sweet harissa tomato sauce instead. We’ll be using that as a plating sauce and swooshing that on the plate under the slice of meatloaf — très fancy.

And because everything is better with a fresh salad on the side, I served it with a sumac parsley salad, which is as simple as it sounds and offers a little bright, zesty punch alongside the loaf and the sauce.

Listen, I know meatloaf is kind of a hard sell. But trust me when I say that this one is different than any other meatloaf you’ve had, and if you love Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors, you’ll be so, so happy you made it.

Or, take it from my husband who has been eating it on repeat for two weeks (recipe testing and all that) and said to me, “Babe, I never thought I’d love a meatloaf, but I fucking love this loaf.”

TL;DR: How we’re elevating the everyday

Upgrading a classic, nostalgic dish with Mediterranean-inspired flavors to create something that’s fresh, fun, and not at all like your grandma’s meatloaf recipe.

Before we start

• Most people say the key to a light and fluffy meatloaf is to not overmix, but I disagree. You want to make sure the panade (that’s the breadcrumb and milk mixture we’ll start with) is well incorporated. Nothing worse than chunks of breadcrumbs in meatloaf. Instead, I think the key is not to overpack it into your loaf tin — this is what creates a super dense, brick-like meatloaf. And, don’t overcook!

• We’re using harissa paste in the tomato sauce, which is a North African pepper paste that is smoky and delicious and can be mild or spicy, depending on what brand you choose. I used New York Shuk’s harissa with preserved lemon here and it is quite spicy, which I like, and also adds a nice citrus flavor. If you are averse to anything too spicy, opt for a harissa that’s labeled “mild” (I like Mina as well) and start with one tablespoon instead of two.

• The parsley salad here is inspired by a very simple mixture of sumac, red onions, and parsley that many like to put on their kebabs. I made it mostly parsley, instead of mostly onions to give it a bit more salad vibes. You can find sumac at your local international/Middle Eastern grocery store (in LA, I love Jon’s), or online.

• I like to make this in a loaf tin because, from an aesthetic perspective, I just prefer the shape! However, you can just shape it into a rough loaf shape on a baking sheet instead. Instructions for both are in the recipe!

• Speaking of loaf tins, this adorable splatter enamelware one by Crow Canyon Home will make you want to make meatloaves and bread loaves and other loaves galore! So cute.

The recipe

Serves: 6

Ready in: About an hour and a half (a lot of that is non-active cooking time)