My meatloaf is never dense, gray and heavy. It's soft, so the slices may fall apart a little when you slice it. But even people who say they don't like meatloaf will like it! For another version, you can search my Italian Meatloaf by keyword in the search box above.
TEXAS CHILI MEATLOAF
1 to 1-1/2 lbs. VERY lean ground beef (I use 96/4)
1 egg............………………......……………………….... 1 TB chili powder
1 or 2 slices soft fresh bread (not a "chunky" or "seed" bread), crumbled up
2 tsp. garlic powder...………………...……………….... 1 tsp. dried oregano
1-2 tsp. fresh rosemary (minced) or 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves (crushed)
2-3 tsp. dried basil...………......……………………..…..1/2 to 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced
1 can diced tomatoes (I use chili-ready tomatoes), including the juice
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika...…......………………………..1 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp salt (preferably sea salt, Himalayan or Kosher salt)
1 tsp. black pepper......…………………………………….optional: about 2 TB fresh cilantro, chopped
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Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9" loaf pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
Mix all ingredients together with your hands (reserving about 1/3 of the can of tomatoes). Lightly pat into prepared pan and spread remaining tomatoes evenly on top.
Cover lightly with foil and bake about 35-45 minutes ~ uncover and bake another 10-20 minutes (depends how big the loaf is). Let set in pan about 5 minutes; slice in pan and serve. If you use 96/4, you won't have excess fat in the pan ~ if you use a fattier ground beef, you will want to drain the fat before it congeals in the pan. (Note: Don’t try to unmold it, or expect perfect slices. It’s probably too moist & tender to hold an exact shape or slice.)