Sunday Salsa Meat Loaf

Tortilla chips in place of breadcrumbs are the one idea that makes this meatloaf. They do the same job as a classic panade, soaking up moisture from the salsa and tomato juice so the loaf stays tender, but they bring toasted corn flavor no breadcrumb can match.

The vegetable rundown is what keeps it from being bland. Garlic, yellow onion, sweet red and green bell pepper, and a handful of sliced black olives all go in raw. They steam out their moisture as the loaf bakes, seasoning the meat from the inside.

Chili powder and a dab of barbecue sauce do the seasoning work. Use a mid-heat jarred salsa (red, not green) and your kitchen will hit that weeknight Tex-Mex note without getting aggressive.

Basting out the accumulated fat halfway through baking is the note from the original author worth following. Lean ground beef still weeps into the pan, and pulling that liquid keeps the crust browned instead of boiled.

Pro Tips

• Mix the meat with a light hand. Overworking ground beef makes a springy, dense loaf. Stop as soon as everything looks evenly distributed.
• Let the baked loaf rest 5 minutes before inverting onto a plate. Hot meatloaf is fragile and will crack if you move it straight out of the oven.
• Crush the tortilla chips coarse, not fine. You want some texture left.

Variations

• Top the loaf with shredded cheddar or pepper jack for the last 10 minutes of baking.
• Swap the ground beef for half beef, half chorizo for a smokier version.
• Use green tomatillo salsa and a splash of lime juice for a brighter, verde-style loaf.