Yummy Meatloaf

(8 servings)

Hmmm.. meatloaf, one of the ultimate comfort foods. There's lots of variations for this dish and the one below makes good use of the veggies left in your crisper at the end of the week. Most combinations would be fine here; mushrooms, celery, broccoli, green beans and parsnips come to mind.

Leftover meatloaf heats up quite nicely, and makes good sandwiches if you prefer it cold. I often portion what's left and freeze it.

3 slices stale bread, torn into small pieces
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp horseradish
small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
about 1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
3 carrots, cut up
1 green bell pepper or a small zucchini, cleaned and cut up
1 tbsp oil
2 lbs lean ground beef

2-3 tbsp ketchup

Place the bread into a large bowl and pour the milk over that. Add the mayonnaise, egg, horseradish, parsley,salt, pepper and thyme. Toss the mixture a bit and set aside.

Place the onion, garlic, carrots, green pepper or zucchini into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until all of the vegetables are finely minced. You will have about 2 3/4 to 3 cups.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the minced vegetables and saute for about 10 minutes, or until the raw onion smell is gone. Remove from heat, cool a bit and add to the mixture in the bowl.
Add the ground beef and combine just until everything is evenly distributed, don't over mix, otherwise the meatloaf might become dense. Hands work well here.

Gently pack the meat mixture into a 9"x5" loaf pan. My loaf pan is 8"x4" and I had a large mound over it, which was fine, I placed a cookie sheet underneath to catch the drippings. Spread the ketchup evenly over the top and place into the centre of the oven.

Bake the meatloaf for about 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 170°F.

Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing.