Meatloaf is one of those foods that can be a mundane reminder of childhood or the warm memory of classic comfort food. In the Mid Twentieth Century it was a staple in almost every household. Some have pleasant memories, others would prefer to forget it. I have mixed feelings about my Mother’s Meatloaf. If it were on the table today, I would probably like it very much. Back then, for some reason, I had an aversion to vegetables chopped up and “hidden” in something. I would spend more time picking out the onions, bell peppers and whatever other plant matter it contained, leaving a plate of messy crumbs much to my mother’s chagrin.
I’ve grown up and that “hidden green matter” isn’t much of an issue anymore. With Winter here and comfort food being , well, so comforting, it was time to make some meatloaf. I confess, I do not have a standard meatloaf recipe. I further confess that I have shared meatloaf adventures before. I more or less create meatloaf with what is on hand and how I am feeling. Each one begins as a work in progress using my best guess as to what will work together and just how much of each ingredient is enough. This go round, I was feeling a touch of Italian nostalgia along with the desire to use up some of the partially used condiments in the refrigerator. I also went pantry diving and came out with some treasures.
The meats were about a pound of Ground Chuck and a couple of Hot Italian Sausage Links both of which were lurking in the freezer. I think that meat loaf tastes best when there are a variety of meats involved. To turn this into what I have named the “Italian One”, I used plenty of minced onion and garlic.
I chose the dried version of each and reconstituted it with time and water. Note to self: Forget your childhood aversion and use the fresh stuff next time. I had some Sourdough bread cubes that I crushed up and added to the mix along with some finely grated Romano and a couple of eggs. Since I had a started jar of Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade on hand I threw that in as well. If the stars align, and I have it on hand again, I would use more. Still the flavor it gave to the meatloaf was delightful if a bit subtle. (Another note to self…)
Once everything was mixed together, I let it chill in the refrigerator for a
couple of hours. While that was happening, I made a a tomato sauce to go on top. Let me tell you how much I love canned Italian Cherry Tomatoes. They are so sweet and tender and just bursting with flavor that they are the perfect addition to almost anything. Given a little time and some garlic, onion, and olive oil, they make a slightly chunky and flavorful sauce that is anything’s crowning glory. Thankfully, they must be an up and coming new darling in the marketplace, because I can find them in more stores now and I always like to have a can or two on hand.
When it was time to assemble, I opted for making two loaves. One to serve two now, and another to freeze to serve two later. Off they went to the oven for 30 minutes or so. I topped them with my lovely Cherry Tomato Sauce and a little Asiago Cheese and let them bake for another 10 minutes or so.
- 1 Pound Ground Chuck
- 2 Italian Sausage Links About 12 Ounces total.
- 1/4 Cup Dried Onion 1/2 cup fresh
- 1 Tbsp. Dried Garlic 3 Cloves if fresh
- 1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs I used Sourdough
- 1/3 Cup Grated Romano Cheese
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3-1/2 Cup Roasted Pepper/Artichoke Tapenade Or other savory condiment
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomato Sauce Recipe below
- 1 Can Italian Cherry Tomatoes
- 1/3 Cup Chopped Onion
- 2 Cloves Garlic chopped
- 1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes Optional, to taste.
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
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Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the onions, Garlic, Bread Crumbs, Cheese, and Tapenade. Mix gently until everything seems blended.
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Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the bowl. Mix just until eggs are incorporated. Let mixture chill for 1-2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Make Sauce while the meat chills.
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Heat Olive Oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic (and the pepper flakes if you are using them) and cook for a few minutes, until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
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Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until the tomatoes begin to burst. Thirty minutes or more is perfectly fine. Set aside.
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Form the meat into one large or two small loaves. Pack gently but firmly and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes depending on number of loaves.
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Top with the Cherry Tomato Sauce and a sprinkle of Asiago (or any Italian cheese). Return to the oven for another few minutes until the cheese is melted Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.
I served this with Linguine that I tossed with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Spinach then sprinkled with more romano cheese. Any side “Starchy” or otherwise would be wonderful, too. Make this meatloaf and as always make it your own…there are no rules here.
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My ground meat of choice was turkey, but this would work with any ground meat that you desire. Eggs and bread crumbs were there of course because I wanted the meatloaf to remain a loaf and these two ingredients make the perfect glue. Onions are an absolute necessity and for this rendition I added some fresh spinach. Before they went into the bowl, I cooked them in a little olive oil. I like my meatloaf to have a smooth consistency and this seemed to do the trick. The last ingredients were grated Pecorino Romano and some Pesto
Another 15-20 minutes in the oven and my loaves and beans were ready for plating. Rounding out the dish and making this a comfort food classic was a scoop of creamy mashed potatoes.
This was a plate of pure love and comfort and really took very little immediate effort on my part. Best of all, there are more little loaves in the freezer to bring tasty joy to the holidays.
