Elvis Presley's Favorite Meatloaf Stands Out For This One Ingredient

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Elvis Presley is known for his rock and roll energy and the wild appetite to match it, whether it was his overly sweet last meal, his favorite snack (which required an entire loaf of bread to make), or his infamous fried banana-and-peanut butter sandwich. The staple meatloaf can do no wrong around the dinner table and was a classic Sunday meal that Presley took a liking to. While most are in on the secret tip that the best meatloaf recipes begin with the right ground beef blend, Elvis Presley's go-to meatloaf had another secret ingredient to boost the taste: wheat germ.

As detailed in "The Presley Family Cookbook," the "Sunday meatloaf" was one of the comfort foods that Presley most craved as a result of his Southern upbringing. Wheat germ, a nutrient dense part of the wheat kernel often used in many baking and culinary practices, is sometimes added to meatloaf as a filler to help the other, more expensive ingredients last longer. Wheat germ is also added as an alternative to breadcrumbs since they add a slight crunch to the dish. Even while wheat germ is an unconventional meatloaf ingredient, it made the dish delicious enough for the Mississippi born-and-raised star to give it the seal of approval.

It's no secret that Elvis Presley had a weak spot for Southern comfort food. In fact, Priscilla Presley once stated that Elvis requested meatloaf for dinner for six months straight at one point. What made this meatloaf tasty enough for the King to obsess over, you might ask? Well, wheat germ is known to have a nutty, slightly sweet, toasted taste that lends well to meatloaf. Wheat germ also helps hold the meat together, leaving you with meatloaf that has a consistent texture. While meatloaf is tasty enough to wolf down alone, you can truly enjoy the meal the way Presley did by pairing it with a side of mashed potatoes.

In case you can't get your hands on any wheat germ (or are looking for a gluten-free version), you could swap out the wheat germ for certified gluten-free oat bran or ground flax instead. The oat bran offers a slightly more potent nutty taste and the flax is slightly more neutral. Either way, pay tribute to the King by preparing this spin on a traditional Southern classic, Elvis Presley-style.