Who Says Meatloaf Can’t Be Sexy?
There’s no getting around cooking your own food when you’re concerned about health or weight. It may as well be delicious.
Cook smart not more!
Having things ready to go in the freezer is a lifesaver. I want to show you how to maximize your time in the kitchen without sacrificing on taste or quality. Meal prep should be a rainy day thing.
You’re looking at my supper last night; aka Sexy Meatloaf (it was a delicious one pot supper with enough leftovers for two or three lunches)
This is one of the recipes that is a staple in my freezer.
Yesterday was busy and I hadn’t taken anything out for supper.
So here’s the play by play:
4:27 tuned on oven
4:28 pulled frozen meatloaf from the freezer
4:32 frozen meatloaf in oven to brown
4:32 to 4:42 veg and ingredient prep
4:42 broth, beer, onions, cloves, bay leaves and carrots went into the pot with the meatloaf
4:43 to 5:35 went to store, went to garden center, back home, unloaded car, puttered in garden, emptied dishwasher, did lunch and breakfast dishes
5:36 baby potatoes went in pot
5:37 to 6:00 chatted with hubby on porch
6:01 mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli in pot
6:15 kale and tomato in, meatloaf out
6:16 to 6:24 set table, sliced meatloaf, poured wine
6:25 supper
Share this with someone you love.
Cheers,
Kim
Sexy meatloaf
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or roasting pan
- 1 Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg good quality ground beef pork, veal, lamb or a combination
- 1 large onion chopped fairly fine
- 1 onion cut in half
- 3 large cloves of garlic or more, chopped fine
- 3 cups finely chopped greens ex. kale, parsley, spinach, chard, beet greens… or a combination
- 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 generous tablespoons of Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- several generous grinds of pepper
- 1 beer
- 2 cups good quality beef or chicken broth
- 3 whole cloves
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup ketchup to coat the meatloaf optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
- Sauté chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil (you can skip this step but it adds a lot of flavour to the meatloaf) If you have a Dutch oven or Creuset-type pot, you could use it here. When the onions are almost done, add the chopped greens until they’re just wilted.
- In a large bowl; combine meat, Dijon, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, sautéed onions, garlic and wilted greens.
- Thoroughly mix all of the ingredients; I use my clean hands for this step. Knead the meat mixture for about 2 minutes. Light kneading will hold the meatloaf together and make it easy to slice once it’s cooked.
- Form the meatloaf (or meatloaves) and transfer back to your Dutch oven or to a roasting pan. You can make one large meatloaf or 2 or 3 smaller ones.
- Coat the top of the meat loaf with ketchup if using (Dijon is also good) cook for 25-30 minutes or until meatloaf is nicely browned.
- Add the beer, broth, onion, cloves and bay leaves ( I sometimes add in some carrot or celery to give even more flavour to the sauce) reduce the heat to 325 and let cook covered for 40 minutes or so, remove lid and allow to cook for another 20 minutes uncovered. Total cooking time will depend on the size of your meatloaf.
- Once done, transfer meat loaf to a platter and lightly tent with tin foil. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce.
- To prepare the sauce; strain out the cloves, bay leaves and vegetables taste and adjust seasoning.
- The sauce can be thickened at this point or used as is. To thicken; mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a bit of cold water to form a smooth paste, gradually add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling sauce until you get the desired consistency.
- Slice and arrange meatloaf on a platter, pour a little sauce over to keep it moist.
