Meatloaf with the Thermomix® uses 850 g mixed mince, takes 85 minutes and yields around 16 slices. The most important point: mix the dough for only 1 min 30 sec / reverse direction / speed 1, then shape into a loaf and roast for 45 minutes at 180°C top and bottom heat. After that, spread the red pepper and tomato sauce all around and roast for a further 30 minutes. It stays juicy if you take it out at an internal temperature of 72 to 75°C and do not bake it any longer.
For us, this meatloaf is the classic Sunday meal when the whole family is at the table. The advantage over many other Thermomix® recipes: We roast it in the oven rather than the Varoma. This gives it a proper crust and roasted flavour, while the sauce made from 2 red peppers and tinned tomatoes cooks alongside in the same dish. One mince mixture, one baking dish, one pass. Also known as falscher Hase (mock hare) when a hard-boiled egg is placed in the centre.
Meatloaf with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 14 ✓
- 1 stale bread roll
- 1 onion
- 10 g rapeseed oil
- 850 g mixed mince
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 red peppers
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp vegetable stock powder or 3 tsp homemade vegetable paste
Instructions 0 / 8
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1
Bread roll.
Place the bread roll in a small bowl, cover with water and leave to soak.
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2
Oven.
Preheat the oven to 180°C top and bottom heat.
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3
Onion.
Peel the onion, halve it, place in the mixing bowl and chop for 5 sec / speed 5, then push down with the spatula.
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4
Meat mixture.
Add the oil and sweat for 3 min / Varoma / speed 1. Add the mince, bread roll, eggs, salt, pepper, paprika and oregano and mix for 1 min 30 sec / reverse direction / speed 1 using the spatula.
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5
Shape.
Transfer to the baking dish, shape into a loaf and roast on the middle shelf of the oven for 45 minutes.
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6
Vegetables.
Meanwhile, peel the onion, halve it and place in the mixing bowl. Peel the garlic, wash the peppers, remove the seeds and core, cut into pieces, add and chop for 5 sec / speed 5. Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock powder or vegetable paste and heat for 10 min / 100°C / speed 2.
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7
Sauce.
Spoon the vegetables around the loaf in the baking dish and roast for a further 30 minutes.
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8
Rice.
Meanwhile, prepare rice in the Thermomix®.
Tip: Homemade Thermomix® mashed potato goes perfectly with this meatloaf.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why the meatloaf turns out better in the oven than in the Varoma
Many Thermomix® recipes cook the meatloaf entirely in the Varoma. That works and keeps it moist, but it comes out pale and grey because steam does not produce browning. In the oven at 180°C, the surface develops roasted flavours (the Maillard reaction), which give the loaf its characteristic savoury taste. Exactly what you would expect from a classic home-cooked meatloaf.
The Thermomix® still takes care of the hard work. The onion is chopped in 5 sec / speed 5, no tears and no chopping board. It then sweats with 10 g rapeseed oil for 3 min / Varoma / speed 1, which takes the sharpness out of the onion and makes it slightly sweet. By hand that would take five minutes at the hob, with a risk of burning.
The key point is the mixing. We mix the meat mixture of 850 g mince, soaked bread roll, 2 eggs and the spices for only 1 min 30 sec / reverse direction / speed 1 with the help of the spatula. Reverse direction means the blades turn on the blunt side, so the meat is combined rather than cut. Anyone who mixes at speed 4 or higher will end up with a dense, paste-like mass rather than a light, open loaf.
Soak the bread roll in water or milk?
Our recipe soaks 1 stale bread roll in water. This is the lean, neutral option. Many classic family recipes use milk instead, because the fat in the milk keeps the meat extra moist and gives a rounder flavour. Both work identically in the Thermomix®: soak the roll, squeeze it out briefly, then add it to the mince.
Our experience: with lean mince (pure beef) it is worth using milk, as the loaf can otherwise turn out slightly dry. With mixed mince containing pork, water is enough, because the pork brings plenty of its own fat. The soaked bread roll is not optional. It absorbs moisture and releases it slowly into the meat during baking. Without a roll or breadcrumbs the loaf will be firm and dry.
These pitfalls make the meatloaf dry or crumbly
Mixing the dough too long or too fast
The most common cause of a tough, rubbery loaf is over-mixing. Mixing for longer than two minutes or at a high speed destroys the structure of the meat and compresses everything into a dense mass.
Our solution: Exactly 1 min 30 sec / reverse direction / speed 1, pushing the mixture down with the spatula throughout. The mixture should just be combined, not smooth. It is better to stop once briefly and check.
Baking at too high a temperature or for too long
Mince dries out when it stays in the oven too long. Per kilogram, a meatloaf needs roughly 30 to 45 minutes at 180°C. Our 850 g, with a total baking time of 75 minutes, sits right in the correct range.
Our solution: Use a meat thermometer and take the loaf out at an internal temperature of 72 to 75°C, measured at the thickest point. For mixed mince, 72°C is the minimum for food safety, 75°C is the safe side. Going higher is not necessary and will cause the juices to escape.
Pressing the mixture too firmly into the dish
Pressing the dough hard into the baking dish produces a dense, heavy loaf without a light crumb.
Our solution: Simply shape the dough loosely into a loaf and place it in the dish. With damp hands you can smooth the surface without anything sticking.
Slicing it straight out of the oven
Slicing the hot loaf immediately causes all the juices to run out onto the board. The meat then seems dry, even though it was not over-baked.
Our solution: Leave the finished loaf to rest for 10 minutes in the switched-off oven. During this time the juices redistribute evenly through the meat and the slices hold together neatly.
Four meatloaf variations for a change
Mock hare with egg: The classic version. Place three hard-boiled, peeled eggs in the centre of the loaf and enclose them with the meat mixture. When you slice it, the egg is revealed. Works with our recipe without changing the baking time.
With a cheese filling: Place 100 g diced Gouda or Mozzarella in the centre. The cheese melts during baking into a molten core. We use a firm cheese for this, as cream cheese becomes too liquid and runs out.
Bacon wrap: Cover the loaf with bacon rashers before baking. The bacon keeps in the moisture, adds savour and turns crispy on top. In that case 1 tsp salt is enough instead of 1 1/2 tsp, as the bacon already adds saltiness.
Spicier sauce: Use 1 tsp smoked paprika in the dough instead of sweet paprika and add 1/2 chilli to the sauce. This gives a smoky, gently spiced note.
Which sides we serve with the meatloaf
The absolute classic for us is Thermomix® mashed potato. It soaks up the red pepper and tomato sauce and is ready in under ten minutes while the loaf rests. Those who prefer something more traditional can serve Thermomix® rice, which can cook in the mixing bowl at the same time.
In summer, a fresh Thermomix® Swabian potato salad goes well alongside. Anyone who likes an extra creamy sauce can serve our Thermomix® cream sauce as well. Vegetables such as broccoli or green beans can be steamed in the Varoma while the loaf is in the oven, making full use of the parallel cooking.
How long the meatloaf keeps and how to reheat it
Covered in the fridge, the meatloaf keeps for 3 to 4 days. Cold, sliced on bread, it tastes almost better than warm because the spices have had time to develop. Store the sauce separately so the outside of the loaf stays firm.
Frozen, it keeps for 3 months. We freeze it in individual slices so you only defrost what you need. Defrost overnight in the fridge. To reheat, add a splash of water or stock, cover and heat through, otherwise the meat dries out. In the oven at 150°C for about 15 minutes, or in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes on a medium setting. We never freeze the raw meat mixture as it loses too much liquid when thawed.
Goes well with: Red cabbage.
