MMMMMMMMMaple Meatloaf

Maple Meatloaf, cream cheese mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli--YUM!

AHHHHH! This weather is just so invigorating! It makes me want to get into the kitchen and make all of those hearty comfort foods I grew up eating, like meatloaf and mashed potatoes. You should smell my house right now! There's a chill breeze out of the north wafting through the place. The savory scent of maple meatloaf mixed with that clean Yankee air--you just can't beat it. I know everyone has their own recipe for meatloaf; I hope you enjoy my take on it (especially with your windows open!)

Jan's Maple Meatloaf

1 lb. Jimmy Dean's Maple Pork Sausage
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 C. lowfat buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 loaf of French bread, torn up
1 small onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1/2 C. quick oats
1/4 C. each of Italian salad dressing and ketchup, plus extra ketchup for loaf coat
3/4 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 TBS. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground fennel seed
salt/pepper to taste

This is leftover garlic bread from a couple of nights ago, any stale-ish bread will do

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and add the buttermilk. Tear up the French bread and let it soak in the egg/buttermilk while you chop the veggies. When the bread is soft, add the Italian dressing, ketchup, cheese and quick oats. Add seasonings. Mix thoroughly. Plop veggies, ground beef and sausage into the mix and use your hands to squish it all together making sure there are no isolated pockets of any one ingredient. Form the meat mixture into a loaf and slather the surface with extra ketchup. Bake for the first 15 minutes at 400 degrees and then reduce to 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I like to bake my loaf on a rack in a roasting pan with a little foil underneath for support. This allows the fat to run off and the ketchup coat to caramelized. Pam everything if you want to make clean up easier. If you don't want the fat drippings to smoke up your kitchen, add a couple of cups of water to the roasting pan...or you can do the traditional bread loaf pan baking method, your choice. Happy Autumn, Eat Hearty!