Okay here it is...the loaf du meat!
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/8-inch dice (or you can use red/green peppers or nothing)
3/4 lb cremini mushrooms, trimmed and very finely chopped in a food processor (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (I sometimes add a splash of soy sauce too)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices firm white sandwich bread or whole wheat or just use crackers)
1/3 cup 1% milk (I sometimes leave this out too and just decrease the amount of bread ..you can even use oatmeal but not the steel cut kind.....it should be sticky but not sloppy if that makes sense.)
1 whole large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/4 lb lean ground beef (or turkey mix of dark and light meat or lamb or whatever mix makes you happy)
Accompaniment: tomato sauce or ketchup
Special equipment: a meat thermometer or an instant-read thermometer
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cook onion and garlic in oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Add carrot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and they are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and 3 tablespoons ketchup, then transfer vegetables to a large bowl and cool.
Stir together bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in egg and egg white, then add to vegetables. Add turkey and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to vegetable mixture and mix well with your hands. (Mixture will be very moist.)
Form into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf in a lightly oiled 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan and brush meatloaf evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup. Bake in middle of oven until thermometer inserted into meatloaf registers 170°F, 50 to 55 minutes.
Let meatloaf stand 5 minutes before serving.
Some people like lots of sauce with it. You can use any good tomato sauce (marinera style) or leave off the ketchup and do a brown gravy type (though this is not traditional.
Sorry most things I cook are a bit at the moment and what I have on hand....never the same twice. This is a good basic recipe.
