Panko breadcrumbs are my favorite to deep fry stuff with, but I’ve never used them in a meatloaf before, and boy, they are actually excellent! They add real fluffiness and airiness to the texture and ever since I tried this variant, I find that I might actually be using panko in meatloaf for any other meatloaf variation.
This meatloaf isn’t much different from other traditional meatloaf recipes, but there are a few tweaks and tricks that make it specifically good.
For instance, fresh garlic and parsley add that extra flavor and texture only fresh herbs and spices offer. Ground paprika adds not only the delicious flavor, but also amazing coloring. If you have smoked paprika variety, add that, it is amazingly good combined with the rest of the ingredients.
The sauce for this meatloaf includes a bit more ingredients than your regular versions, but It’s absolutely worth it, because the additional spices add more flavor.
If you want to have your meatloaf sport a crispy crust, I’d recommend baking it in a foil-lined baking sheet instead of a traditional loaf form. If it’s open on three sides instead of at the top only, the caramelized juices from the topping will create a lovely crust.
I hope you like this recipe!