Meatloaf, a trip down memory lane

Photo by James Ransom

Meatloaf, simple to make and oh so delicious. My meatloaf was inspired by my Mothers recipe, don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you its easy to put together, there are a lot of vegetables, it adds flavor, moistness and nutritional value. This recipe won two contests, Food52 and Whole Foods and was featured on a cooking show. Its moist, tasty and at least for me nostalgic. Here’s how to make it:

Meatloaf

Olive oil for coating pan and sautéing

2 stalks celery cut into chunks

1 medium carrot cut into chunks

1/2 small onion cut into chunks

big handful flat leaf parsley

1 bell pepper (I like to use red bell pepper) chopped into small pieces

6-8 large button mushrooms chopped into small pieces (use as many as you like)

1 lb ground beef (I prefer 80% ground chuck)

1 lb ground pork

1 1/4 c fresh breadcrumbs

2 large eggs beaten

1 tomato pureed in blender or a small can of diced or stewed tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Worcestershire sauce (approx 1 tbs)

2 tbs heavy cream (optional)

ketchup to slather on top

Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double beatloaf, I hate meatloaf from A Christmas Story

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a large casserole or baking pan. Add the celery, carrot, onion and parsley to the food processor, pulse just until its a chunky paste (sofrito). Pulse tomato to puree if using a fresh tomato. Set aside.

Saute chopped bell pepper and mushrooms in some olive oil until tender.

Add the meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, tomato puree or can of tomatoes, ground vegetables, bell pepper and mushrooms, cream, salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl, mix with your hands (or a spoon) until combined. In the same pan you sautéed the peppers and mushrooms or in the microwave cook a spoonful of the meatloaf mixture to check for seasoning. Adjust if needed. I like to make 2 smaller loaves or you can make one large loaf, plop into baking pan, shape into loaf or loaves, cover in ketchup and bake uncovered for 1 hour. When done remove from oven, tent with foil and let sit 15 minutes before serving. Meatloaf sandwiches with the leftovers are one of my favorite things. Enjoy!

meatloaf sandwiches

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