Meatloaf

[Frances]

I can't believe there isn't a recipe for this here yet, I love making these things...

So here is my version:

500g of minced beef
1 large chopped onion
100g Philadelphia cheese
1 grated carrot
1 grated courgette
some green peas
1 or 2 eggs
chopped parsley
2 slices of stale bread crumbled up and soaked in warm water
salt and pepper to taste
Some whole meal flour or bread crumbs if it still seems too soggy


Mix it all up and form a loaf, wrap up in bacon slices and place in the oven at about 220 C. After 15 minutes add a bay leaf and a generous slosh of red wine. Continue adding wine from time to time as it evaporates. The Loaf is finished after about an hour, but can stay in the oven for longer if necessary. Its also very good for reheating.

Are there any other favourite meatloaf variations out there?

[gjbingham]

Re: Meatloaf

I'm coming to dinner!

I add Italian sausage to mine - somewhere around 20% by weight. I like your bacon wrap and wine ideas. What the hell is a courgette? Is there any hair of a Labrador Retriever in there? It seems to be everywhere here!

[Frances]

Re: Meatloaf

Hey sure, anytime - just give a couple of hours warning so I can get the oven up and running.

No hair in there unfortunately... one member of the family has asthma.
Well, appart fom my hair which creeps into the cooking occasionally.

A courgette is a baby marrow, but I usually add whatever vegies I have around in my ongoing quest to force some vitamins down the unwilling throats of my dear little kiddies.

At least they like my bread... tough luck there George, I seem to remember some impressive Ciabatta coming out of your oven a while back.

Digressing a bit here, but we recently had some people over for brunch, and of course served up several different breads... blow me down if they did all fall on the only store baught bread we had, pale white and ugly. Didn't even try the hearth bread! Man was I insulted... its the family of my husbands best friend, so not much chance of not inviting them over again. Oh well, their loss.

[egalecki]

Re: Meatloaf

Oh Frances, how awful! You can take a person to good bread but you can't make 'em eat it, I guess. My own darling husband doesn't like rye bread... (he's perfect in all other respects...)

The meatloaf looks really good- I will have to try that. I've never seen cream cheese (I'm thinking that's what Philadelphia cheese is?) in meatloaf. I put carrots and green pepper in mine.

George, I think we'd call a courgette a zucchini. Or maybe just a summer squash. (and I hear you on the dog hair... my three are shedding like it's summertime!)

[BrianShaw]

Re: Meatloaf

Try this "all-American" rendition of Frances' recipe:

500g of minced beef
250g of minced pork
1 large chopped onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste (or catsup)
2 medium sized eggs
chopped parsley (if one absolutely feels the need for more vegetables than just the onion and tomato paste)
3 slices of stale bread crumbled up and soaked in milk
1/2 to 2 tsp dried thyme leaves
a dash or two of worstershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Form into a loaf and cover with sliced bacon (American bacon - the kind with lots of fat that will ooze over the loaf and give it a yummy taste). Bake until done [350 F oven for about 1 hour]. Eat with mashed potatos! Serve vegetables on the side so they can be more easily slid off of the plate.

[Archena]

Re: Meatloaf

3 pounds ground beef
2 slices toast or stale bread (crumbled) or 1 half cup saltine crumbs
2 eggs
2/3 cup ketchup + 1/3 cup ketchup for topping
3 tablespoons spicy mustard
4 tablespoons Worcestershire
1/2 cup chopped onion

Blend all of the above except the ketchup reserved for topping. Bake in a small loaf pan at 350 for 30 minutes or until done. Top meatloaf with the remaining ketchup.


-edited 'cause I forgot the eggs...

[BrianShaw]

Re: Meatloaf

Top meatloaf with the remaining ketchup.

YUM... just like in grammar school cafeteria... the top slathered with catsup and baked to carmelized perfection. Yum (didn't I say that already?)

[Archena]

Re: Meatloaf

YUM... just like in grammar school cafeteria... the top slathered with catsup and baked to carmelized perfection. Yum (didn't I say that already?)

So I'm a traditionalist...

[gjbingham]

Re: Meatloaf

Wow - the baby marrow had me a bit put off for a second. Scooping out the bone marrow of babies just to make meatloaf sounded a bit over the top. Thanks Elizabeth for setting me straight.

What a great winter meal meatloaf is. Comfort food at its best. Thanks all for the recipes (minus the dog hair).
G.

[Archena]

Re: Meatloaf

Oh yeah, I forgot.

1/2 cup cat hair (my optional keratin source)

[egalecki]

Re: Meatloaf

Geez. Now I feel the need to make meatloaf... it's going to get unbelievably cold here the end of the week- down to nearly zero at night and struggling to get past 25 during the day, if that. Guess I'll pull on the woolies and fire up the oven before that!

George, the mental picture you conjured up for me will stick with me for weeks. ICK.

[BrianShaw]

Re: Meatloaf

Good grief... you're not really going to burn wood just for a meatloaf, are you? If so, I applaud your traditionalism. Personally I find the indoor oven to work best for a meal like this, just like I tend to prefer indoor plumbing for some things.

[egalecki]

Re: Meatloaf

I never fire it up for just one thing... so I'll make bread too- and I really have my eye on that Tikka Masala thing Tim did...

I've been making quite a lot of bread indoors lately, trying to get new recipes down without the added variable of the oven to worry about. I have some of them ready to head outdoors now, so off we go!

[gjbingham]

Re: Meatloaf

Oh yeah, I forgot.

1/2 cup cat hair (my optional keratin source)

High collagen diet. Yum!

Elizabeth,
Bread indoors? Warm, dry....TV's on. Sometimes that beats dealing with the elements, huh?

[Frances]

Re: Meatloaf

Now I feel the need to make meatloaf...

Cool! Let us know how it goes....

George, I've been meaning to ask, what kind of sausage is "Italian" where you live? Do you chop it up or is it raw and you add the filling?

I used to add some veal-sausage-meat-filler-stuff they sell here, but gave up because of all the additives. And on that subject... tomato ketchup? Ur yuck, no thanks.