Annacia's Use It up Meat Loaf

Submitted by Annacia

"Ever been in that place where you have a fridge full of odds and ends and need to make a meal? This "use it up" creation came out honoring all of the bits and pieces that went into it and tasting pretty darn good too."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup cremini mushroom, small-diced (or button mushrooms)
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 ounces white bread, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2-1/2 cups of Italian or French)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3⁄4 lb Italian sausage (sweet or hot- bulk or skin removed sausages)
• 1 3⁄4 lbs ground beef
• 2 large eggs
• 2 lightly packed tsp lemon zest, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (1 tsp dried)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (1 tsp dried)
• 2 teaspoons garam masala (or any mixed spice you like)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 9 slices sliced bacon

directions

1. Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onion, mushrooms, and garlic, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until warm.
2. In a shallow dish that holds it in a single layer, soak the bread piece's in the milk, flipping once, until soggy but not falling apart, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the coarseness and freshness of the bread. Lightly squeeze a handful of bread at a time to remove some of the milk (it should be wet but not drenched). Finely chop, or break into small pieces, and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.
3. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Add the beef, sausage and eggs to the onion mixture. Scatter the lemon zest, basil, thyme, and garam masala over the meat, and then sprinkle with the Worcestershire, 2-1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Use your hands to gently mix all the ingredients until just combined; try not to compact the mixture as you do this.
5. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment. Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the baking pan and form into a 10x4-inch rectangular block (it becomes loaf-shaped as it cooks). Finish the meatloaf by draping it with slightly overlapping strips of bacon, tucking the ends under the loaf.
6. Bake 40 to 55 minutes.
7. Broil the meatloaf about 6 inches from the broiler element until the bacon is brown and crisped, about 3 minutes, but watch it carefully. Let rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board or serving platter with a large spatula and cut into 3/4 - to 1-inch-thick slices.

Reviews

[rosie316]

Okay... I was skeptical of this recipe. The ingredient list was so long and looked daunting, but I figured that I've been making meatloaf for 30+ years (since I first started living on my own), and I was stuck in a rut! "Thank you" isn't enough to express my gratitude to "looking outside of the box" (so to speak). This turned out to be a pleasant surprise for my whole family. I did alter a bit, but that is the whole point of a "use what you have" recipe, right? I used 2 lbs ground beef, 1/2 lb Italian sausage, 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup with a splash of milk (to replace the fresh shrooms and milk, since I didn't have any real shrooms in the house), no Kosher salt (since the bacon was on there), a half of chopped green bell pepper that was wilting away, and I used the dried herb options (along with all the other the listed ingredients). But, I didn't have a clue as to what "Garam Masala" was (and I was just too lazy to investigate)... so I skipped it! All is good. Fantastic meal we had tonight. Served this with cheesy broccoli and dinner rolls. Thank you for posting a fresh view on what to do with an "old classic", and clear out your fridge at the same time. Made for PRMR - Spring 2013

 

[tcoleman57_8713835]

Garam Masala? Really? Well, I am in a rut with my old meatloaf recipe so I will give it a try.

 

[The Spice Guru]

This is a fantastic meatloaf, Annacia! I'm throwing out all of my other meatloaf recipes, and I'm not kidding! Such huge flavors happening in there -- I love the addition of garam masala, the fresh lemon zest, and of course -- the bacon! I made it exactly as written and didn't change a thing. Thanks for sharing your great recipe!

 

[Lori Mama]

My husband had 3 slices, so that says its a winner. :)