Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

The Meatloaf Sandwich Club met.  Here’s the recipe:

Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze (the original can be found here)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large zucchini, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 yellow pepper, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan
1 cup ketchup, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, peppers, garlic paste, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until almost soft, 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, and the cooled vegetables and mix until just combined.

Mold the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the remaining ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Unfortunately, the blog administrator was not able to make the meeting so no pictures this week. 

Scott’s Mediterranean Meatloaf with Bruschetta Tomatoes & Greek Dressing

Scott was another guest chef to the meatloaf sandwich club.  Here’s his recipe: 

Scott’s Mediterranean Meatloaf with Bruschetta Tomatoes & Greek Dressing

2 lbs lean ground beef

½ lb mild Italian sausage

10 Kalamata olives, diced medium

1 cup garlic and herb feta cheese

10 wax pepper rounds, diced

¼ white onion diced

1 clove garlic diced

1 can tomato paste

1 egg

¾ cup plain bread crumbs

2 tsp Cavender’s Greek Seasoning

Bruschetta Tomatoes

1 small bunch fresh basil finely diced

6 Romano tomatoes deseeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, diced medium

¼ white onion diced fine

2 T olive oil

1 T Balsamic vinegar

Greek Salad Dressing

¾ of a container of Miracle Whip light

1 cup plain yogurt

4 tbsp Cavender’s Greek Seasoning

1 pinch of black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried basil, ground

For the Greek Salad Dressing: Combine and let stand in refrigerator for 4 hours

For the Meatloaf:  Move oven rack to middle and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine ground beef and mild Italian sausage in large mixing bowl, mix lightly.  Heat a 10 inch skillet on med heat, add 1 tsp of olive oil, add diced garlic and diced onions and sauté until onion is clear.  Remove and let cool.  Combine Cavender’s seasoning, bread crumbs, egg, tomato paste, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and garlic and onion mixture with meat, mix gently.  Form and place in a large loaf pan.  Place in oven and cook 350 degrees for 1 to 1.5  hours, check temp, pouring off drippings periodically.  Internal temp should reach 160 degrees.

For the Bruschetta:  Combine Bruschetta ingredients in a small mixing bowl, mix, cover and place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

To Serve:  Cut 1” thick slice of meatloaf place on Italian peasant bread, spread Greek Salad dressing on one side of the bread, place 2-3 T of Bruschetta and 1 T of feta cheese atop meatloaf top and serve. For a twist butter outside of the sandwich and place in a Panini maker for 1-2 min serve with light Ceasar or garden salad.

Here’s a picture of the loaf and a sandwich:

Scott did not have Italian peasant bread.  He served it on New French Bakery baguettes instead. 

Jhelsi’s Glazed Meatloaf

We had another guest chef to Meatloaf Sandwich Club, Jhelsi Mack.  Here’s her recipe:

Jhelsi’s Glazed Meatloaf

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice, divided

1 teaspoon mustard powder

2 pounds ground beef

2 slices bread, finely ground

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and mustard powder.

3.In a separate large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread, onion, egg, bouillon, remaining lemon juice and 1/3 of the ketchup mixture from the small bowl. Mix this well and place in a 5×9 inch loaf pan.

4.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, drain any excess fat, coat with remaining ketchup mixture and bake for 10 more minutes.

Here’s a couple of pictures:

Jhelsi recommends making a bit more glaze than in the recipe as it is very delicious.  She served her meatloaf with cottage bread. 

Official Censure

IT is hereby agreed, after deliberate and thoughtful consideration, that Casey Thompson be officially censured for engaging in conduct unbecoming of a Meatloaf Sandwich Club Member and that he be burdened with the attendant shame, guilt, and public scorn associated with said censure. Said censure is deemed necessary to protect not only the integrity of the club members but also the reputation of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club as a beacon of meatloaf excellence to our co-workers, our blog audience, and, indeed, the entire world. The Meatloaf Sandwich Club has ever prided itself on its exclusivity and rigidity to the highest standards of conduct. Thus, it is with a heavy heart that the following actions must be laid bare to the world:

1) That on January 16, 2008, Casey Thompson did knowingly and willingly purchase the luncheon buffet at The Cookery, a restaurant of known ill-repute.

2) That after perusing the offerings of said lunch buffet and recognizing that meatloaf was part of said offering, he knowingly and willingly purchased the luncheon buffet.

3) That on his initial plate of foodstuffs from said buffet, he knowingly and willingly placed said meatloaf.

4) That on his second plate of foodstuffs from said buffet, he knowingly and willingly placed said meatloaf, even after ingesting his first piece meatloaf and finding it to be of poor quality.

5) That Casey Thompson knowingly and willingly ate all of said meatloaf.

6) That Casey Thompson was well aware of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club’s strong and vitriolic stance against the existence of and ingesting of inferior/mass made/commercial meatloaf.

IT is the decided decision of the other four members of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club that said behavior by Casey Thompson constitutes a willful and despicable violation of the code of honor heretofore agreed upon by all members of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club and is an insult to the integrity of the club, its members, and his own personal sense of worth. It is therefore decreed that Casey Thompson be officially censured for engaging in conduct unbecoming of a Meatloaf Sandwich Club Member.

Agreed upon unanimously this 17th day of January, 2008, by Tony Breidenbach, Chance Simington, Roger Nelson, and Dan Gordon.

Notice of Permanent Restraining Order

Notice of Permanent Restraining Order

In Circuit Court, State of North Dakota

Members of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club, Petitioners

vs.

Scott Johnsrud and

Wade Monsebroten, Respondents

The Honorable Court , after arduous and painstaking fact finding and deliberation finds the following to be supported by the greater weight of the evidence:

1)  That Scott Johnsrud and Wade Monsebroten, Respondents, are co-workers of the members of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club, the Petitioners.

2)  That Respondents are green with envy of the the Meatloaf Sandwich Club as an institution of Meatloaf Excellence as well as of each member of said club in that they exist as members and have all the privileges of being members of said club.

3)  That Respondents’ jealousy has led them to actions that they felt would adversely affect the safety, security, privacy, and existence of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club.  Namely, Respondents have done the following (either alone or jointly)

a)  Admitted that they do desire and are actively working toward the destruction of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club.

b)  Started and encouraged discussion of troublesome actions of Meatloaf Sandwich Club members between members and/or other co-workers.

c)  Started and encouraged discussion of severe penalties for said troublesome actions as well as advocate for said severe penalties.

d)  Admitted that they do act in concert to destroy the brotherhood and commitment to excellence shared by the members of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club.

e)  Encouraged troublesome behavior of a Meatloaf Sandwich Club member in order to entrap him and use said trap as a vehicle to attack the Meatloaf Sandwich Club.

f)  Encouraged the idea that justifiable actions by a guest chef to the Meatloaf Sandwich Club were of far greater concern than warranted by any reasonable stretch of imagination. 

g)  Lie in anticipation and jump at any opportunity that they see that could possibly cause division, rupture, distress, or dissolution of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club. 

h)  That Respondents appear thusly:

Wherefore, this Court finds that said actions by Respondents are repeated, intrusive, and unwanted acts and words that are intended to adversely affect the safety, security, privacy, and existence of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club.

Wherefore, It is ordered and adjudged that Respondents be:

1)  Enjoined from any further actions that might possibly cause division, rupture, distress, or dissolution of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club. 

2)  Enjoined from entering the meeting room of the Meatloaf Sandwich Club whilst the Club’s weekly meeting is being held.

Dated this 24th day of January, 2008.

Tony’s All Beef Meatloaf

Tony made the meatloaf this week.  His recipe is based on a recipe from the America’s Test Kitchen television show.  Here it is:

Meat Loaf, original recipe can be found here (registration required)

1 T unsalted butter 

1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)

1 medium rib celery , chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)

1 medium clove garlic, minced

2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves   

1 tsp paprika  

1/4 spicy Bloody Mary mix 

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 

2 large eggs  

1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin (powdered) 

1 T soy sauce 

2/3 cup crushed saltine crackers  

2 T minced fresh parsley leaves 

3/4 tsp table salt  

1/2 tsp ground black pepper  

2 lbs 85% ground beef

Glaze ingredients

1/2 cup ketchup  

1 tsp hot pepper sauce 

1/2 tsp ground coriander 

1/4 cup cider vinegar 

3 T packed light brown sugar 

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming; add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add Bloody Mary mix. Cook, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside to cool.

Whisk broth and eggs in large bowl until combined. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, saltines, parsley, salt, pepper, and onion mixture. Add ground beef; mix gently with hands until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Transfer meat to foil rectangle* and shape into 10 by 6-inch oval about 2 inches high. Smooth top and edges of meat loaf with moistened spatula. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 135 to 140 degrees, 55 to 65 minutes.** Remove meat loaf from oven and turn on broiler.

While meat loaf cooks, combine ingredients for glaze in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meat loaf with rubber spatula; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven and spread evenly with remaining glaze; place back under broiler and cook until glaze is again bubbling and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes more. Let meat loaf cool about 20 minutes before slicing.

*  To cook as the original recipe asks, create a foil rectangle that roughly is the size of your meatloaf.  Pierce this rectangle with a fork all over.

**  Then place the rectangle on a cooling rack that is set in a baking sheet.  Place the meat on top of the foil and then bake.  This arrangement should allow juices to flow away from the meat while cooking. 

Tony made 2 omissions from the recipe: Monterey Jack cheese and dijon mustard.  He fully admits that he dropped the ball on those ingredients as he just plain forgot to put them in.  He had even gone so far as to freeze the cheese (a step asked for in the original recipe) but then forgot to incorporate it into the meatloaf.  He also made one other change: he substituted spicy Bloody Mary mix for tomato juice.  He did so because he had the Bloody Mary mix on hand.  Here’s a picture of a sandwich:

Tony served it with Potato sandwich bread.  He also brought some homemade bacon as a special treat for the group.  Also, as you can see from the pictures, maple syrup was also brought as a condiment.  Only one club member, however, took advantage of it as you can see in this picture:

The prior picture was actually a special sandwich made for him with the last piece of meatloaf.  Unfortunately, he was unable to make the meeting due to a legitimate work engagement.  Feeling that he should still be able to participate, we created that sandwich of bread, meatloaf, mayonnaise, and maple syrup.  He thought it was delicious.  I must add that Casey has a long history with maple syrup and that he is able to use it in a myriad of unique ways.  Please read this post for complete details. 

Club Members

I have heard clamorings for club member pictures.  Here’s one of all of us:

From left to right: Tony (President and Secretary/Blogger), Chance, Roger, Casey, and Dan.  This picture was taken after our latest meatloaf repast in our breakroom at work. 

Italian Meatloaf

Chance made the meatloaf for our weekly club meeting.  Here’s his recipe:

Italian Meatloaf, from this recipe at Tastymeatloafrecipes.com

1 pound ground beef (leaner is better)

1 4 oz can mushrooms (reserve juice)

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 large egg

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 center cut bacon strips

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp thyme

2 T dry bread crumbs

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Add water to mushroom juice to make 1 cup.  Fry bacon until crispy, drain and crumble.  Set aside.

Combine beef, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, egg, mushroom juice, garlic powder and salt in a large bowl.  Mix well.  On wax paper, form meat mixture into a 8×12 inch rectangle.

Sprinkle meat with parsley, oregano, basil, thyme and 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.  Spread bacon, onion, mushrooms and cheese evenly over meat.

Roll meat into an 8 inch wide loaf.  Place meatloaf into an 8 inch glass bread pan or glass baking dish.

Bake for 60 minutes.  Pour tomato sauce over meatloaf, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Let meatloaf sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Chance used Italian-style bread crumbs which were cheese-flavored.  Other than that, he followed the recipe faithfully. He served it on sliced Ciabatta from Breadsmith.

Here’s a picture of the whole loaf:

And my half eaten sandwich:

Roger’s Basic Meatloaf

Roger, the good chap that he is, agreed to make our weekly meatloaf on short notice after Chance went home sick on Wednesday afternoon.  Bereft of the benefit of a whole week of planning, Roger was unwillingly forced to simplify his approach to his meatloaf.  This is what he came up with:

Roger’s Basic Meatloaf

2 lbs lean ground beef (7% fat)

1/2 lb ground pork

1 cup chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

dash salt

dash pepper

dash garlic seasoning

Ketchup

Brown sugar

Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix all ingredients except ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl, mixing thoroughly.  Place into a loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.  Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients together.  Just use your best judgment as to measurements.  After the meatloaf has cooked for one hour, coat the top of the loaf with the ketchup mixture and cook for 15 minutes more. 

Roger did one thing differently than the previous meatloaves.  He did not bake the meatloaf free form, outside of a loaf pan.  Instead, he cooked it in a ceramic loaf pan.  The result was, I think, a tighter loaf that had less crustiness on the edges.  He served the meatloaf on onion rolls.  Here’s a few pictures:

“Bat out of Hell” Meatloaf

Dan made this meatloaf for our club (original recipe can be found here):

“Bat out of Hell” Meatloaf

1 oz dried chipotle chilies, stemmed

2 ripe Italian Roma tomatoes, cored

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 cups water

1 onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 1/4 lb ground beef

1 1/4 lb ground pork

1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 large eggs, beaten to blend

Combine chipotles, tomatoes, garlic and water in medium saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by 1/3, about 20 minutes. Cool. Transfer to processor. Puree until smooth. Strain.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and celery and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add cumin and nutmeg and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Transfer to large bowl. Cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Add beef, pork, bread crumbs and salt to onion mixture. Add 1/2 cup chipotle sauce. Mix until well blended. Add eggs and mix well. Press mixture into 9 x 5inch loaf pan. Brush top with some of remaining chipotle sauce. Bake meatloaf until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 160 degrees F, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack. Cool slightly. Drain off any oil. Turn meatloaf out onto platter. Serve with remaining salsa.

Dan said he followed the recipe to a tee, except for using dried bread crumbs instead of the fresh.  He served it on an onion rye bread from Great Harvest Bread Company.  The extra salsa was passed on the side.  Here’s some pictures: