Giada De Laurentiis Adds This Somewhat Controversial Condiment To Meatloaf Every Time

People have a lot of varying feelings and opinions about meatloaf and how it should be made. While classic beef meatloaf recipes often call for incorporating ketchup — in the loaf, spread on top, or both — not everyone is a fan of the condiment, and its incorporation can be a bit controversial. Some people prefer tomato sauce or paste, barbecue sauce, or even gravy instead. Meanwhile, others add various simple ingredients to take meatloaf to the next level, such as molasses and liquid smoke. Giada de Laurentiis, however, is a big believer in using ketchup in and on meatloaf.

When telling Tasting Table how she uses taralli — crispy, ring-shaped snacks that hail from Italy's Apulia and Campania regions — in her meatloaf instead of crackers, the celebrity chef and cookbook author let it slip that she adds ketchup to the mix too. "I put [the taralli] in the food processor, and I add a little bit of that and ketchup," she explained, "I know [ketchup is] not elevated ... but I'm telling you, a little bit of ketchup in there is freaking great." Along with working ketchup into the loaf itself, De Laurentiis uses ketchup and apple cider vinegar for a glaze and tops it with a sprinkle of parsley.

The roots of meatloaf actually harken back to Rome, early in the medieval era shortly after the empire fell. It wasn't until the Great Depression that meatloaf became a classic American comfort food because of its simplicity and ability to stretch rations to fill more bellies. During the later part of the period, people started adding ketchup to the top instead of tomato sauce or soup, which is one reason why you often see ketchup on top of meatloaf even today.

The condiment substitute was done because it adds salty, sweet, and tangy flavors with some umami spicing up the blandness of the grain and protein mixture without adding a lot of other ingredients. In fact, Giada de Laurentiis told Tasting Table that ketchup "adds that vinegar and sweetness." In her opinion, this is key when making meatloaf. It also provides a bit of color, keeps the inside moist, and creates a caramelized topping.

Plus, De Laurentiis isn't the only celebrity chef who upgrades meatloaf with ketchup. For instance, Alton Brown prefers to use a catsup glaze (the original name for ketchup) for his Good Eats Meatloaf, and Ina Garten specifically likes to spread Heinz ketchup directly on top of her Meat Loaf before baking.

Tasting Table and Daily Meal are both owned and operated by Static Media.