I never thought I would write this post.
I never even thought I would like meatloaf. It just sounds disgusting, doesn’t it?
But after years of cooking for myself, meatloaf has become a bit of a staple in my house mainly due to its convenience, ease of preparation, and price point. And the fact that it makes great leftovers.
When I decided to host a potluck dinner at my house, my strategy for providing the main dishes for nearly 20 people was this: make it delicious….but more importantly make it cheap. Have ya’ll heard about the euro lately? My point exactly.
Enter meatloaf and broccoli casserole.
Little did I know what a huge hit this would be. So much of a surprise that the only pictures that were taken weren’t even of my poor little loaf. He was just a mere extra to the main attractions.
….in the photographs that is. This recipe will definitely be well-loved by your family and friends as it was mine. I hope you will try it out and let me know how you like it.
Meatloaf
The moisture in this dish comes from the use of mushrooms. There is no need to add any breadcrumbs to this meal making my version grain-free and gluten-free.
2 pounds of Ground Beef
1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
4-5 cloved of garlic, minced
1/2 cup frozen spinach, chopped
1/2 cup canned pureed tomatoes
2 whole eggs
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Oregano
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, combine all ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup of the pureed tomatoes for later. Make sure to thaw your spinach and squeeeeeeeze out all the water before chopping and adding to the bowl. It is best to combine these ingredients by hand as to avoid over-mixing (tough meat. sick.). Once thoroughly combined, add mixture to a metal loaf pan. Make sure to leave about 1 inch of space from the top of the pan since the meat will extract a lot of liquid. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (or until the edges are beginning to look crispy. At that point, pour the remaining 1/4 cup pureed tomatoes on top and broil for about 10 minutes. Once finished, the edges should be nice and crispy, the tomato puree should be slightly reduced, and the loaf should feel firm.
I hope you all enjoy this recipe and please let me know how it turns out for you!!
*Disclaimer: I never measure ingredients when I am cooking. I know that this annoys people so I did my best at estimating the amounts. I encourage you to tweak the recipe as you see fit!
