How to make Arnold Palmer’s favorite meatloaf — with a modern twist

Welcome to GOLF.com‘s Clubhouse Eats with 3 Pieces of Pecan, where Chance Cozby –– our contributing at-home chef –– turns on the camera to walk you through signature dishes and drinks synonymous with the game we love. They’re damn good!

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At this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, the fourth Signature Event of the year, the field will pay homage to the one and only Arnold Palmer, golf’s late, great king.

In addition to being forever linked with his eponymous beverage, Palmer was also a fan of another traditional, home-made favorite: meatloaf. And this week, Chance Cozby, whose food-focused Instagram and TikTok accounts (@3piecesofpecan) boast a combined following of more than 1.3 million, shows you how to put a modern spin on a much-loved classic dish. Check out his recipe below, and/or watch the video above.

How to make meatloaf sliders worthy of The King

Start by preparing the meat mixture in a large mixing bowl.

Meatloaf, Part I:

-2 lbs ground beef (85/15 preferred)
-1 large onion, chopped
-3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
-2 eggs

Work through the mixture a bit with your hands before adding the remaining ingredients.

Meatloaf, Part II:

-1/3 cup milk
-3/4 cup of breadcrumbs
-3 tbsp of ketchup
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
-1 tsp salt
-1 pinch pepper
-1 tbsp finely-chopped parsley

Gently fold the mixture together by hand. Grab two 9×5 loaf pans lined with parchment paper, which will prevent the meatloaf from sticking to the pan.

Cook the meatloaf for 40 minutes at 375 degrees, then you can focus on the sauce.

Sauce:

-3/4 cup of ketchup
-2.5 tbsp brown sugar
-1.5 tsp garlic powder
-3/4 tsp onion powder
-Pinch of salt and pepper
-1 tsp white vinegar

Stir it all togther!

“When we put this on top of the meatloaf, it’s gonna caramelize,” Cozby says. “That’s what that brown sugar is gonna do for you.”

Now it’s time to remove the meatloaf from the oven. You’ll notice that the meat has shrunk a bit, and some juices have collected around the edges. That’s good! Don’t drain it, says Cozby. Those juices will come in handy later. For now, brush the top of the meatloaf with the sauce, then put the loaves back in the oven at 375 degrees for another 20 minutes to let the sauce settle. You want the meatloaf to reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees before pulling it out.

Once the loaves are out, let them rest for about 10 minutes, and get to toasting your buns in the meantime. Cozby recommends using King’s Hawaiian savory butter rolls — not sweet. Cut the whole pack in half, treating the rolls like one giant slider. Butter the cut side of the rolls, then place them on a griddle to brown. Three to four minutes should do the trick.

Now is the time to put those extra juices from the meatloaf pan back to work. Tilt the loaf pans to collect the juice in a small cup, then you can lift the parchment paper out of each pan.

From there, you can cut the meatloaf to the desired thickness before placing it on the rolls. Once that’s done, drizzle the extra juice right on top before placing the other side of the rolls on the meat. Your mega meatloaf slider is complete! Now, you can slice each roll into 12 individual sliders. Just don’t forget to enjoy one or two yourself.

“It’s soft, full of flavor,” Cozby says as he samples his work. “That’s a slider for a king.”

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Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.