Tyler's Ultimate Meatloaf

This is my favorite meatloaf recipe (sorry, mom!). I always order it at Cafeteria, so I was really excited to see Tyler Florence make it on his Food Network show a couple years ago. I like to make extra Tomato Relish and save it to serve with burgers.


1 recipe Tomato Relish (click for recipe)
2 1/2 lbs ground beef, pork, or turkey
3 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks
1/4 C milk
2 eggs
1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
3-4 bacon slices, optional


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the torn bread in a bowl and add the milk to cover, letting the bread soak while you put together the rest of the ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground meat, 1 1/2 C tomato relish, eggs, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the bread to the mixture. Transfer the mixture into a loaf pan, and coat the top with another 1/2 C of relish. If you like, lay the bacon across the top.

Bake for 1- 1 1/2 hours until the meatloaf is firm. Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side.