Lia Wiedemann
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Food
easy recipes
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Homeandgarden
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When I was growing up, my mom never made meatloaf. I didn’t mind. The few I’d tried were bland and rubbery. I preferred hamburgers, or spaghetti and meatballs with a lot of sauce. But when I was 15, she saw an ad for The Great American Meatloaf Contest in The New York Times, and though she didn't have a family recipe to flaunt, she went right ahead and created one.
Now, my mom has only entered three recipe contests in her life. You’ve already heard about the second one, and although she didn’t win the third, I still think her stuffed tomatoes are out of this world. For her first recipe contest ever, she won second place. And I met a meatloaf I could finally like.
First, she sautéed mushrooms and shallots until they were soft and lightly browned. To a mixture of ground beef and veal, she added ketchup, mustard, Pecorino Romano, parsley and Tabasco sauce. She spread the meat onto wax paper and added a layer of goat cheese and mushrooms before rolling it up. Each slice was thick and juicy with a melty center. It was like a fancy burger, minus the bun.
Even as an adult, I crave burgers and spaghetti and meatballs a lot. But every so often, I want meatloaf. This is the one I always make.
Goat Cheese and Mushroom Meatloaf
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 pound fresh mushrooms, stems removed, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground beef round
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic, shallots and thyme, stirring once or twice, until tender, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to moderately high and stir in the mushrooms. Cover and cook until mushrooms soften, stirring once, about 4 minutes. Remove cover, add sage, salt, pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Cook, stirring until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside and prepare the meat.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine the beef and veal. Stir in the eggs, bread crumbs, grated cheese, ketchup, mustard, parsley, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spread the meat mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper to approximately 9 inches by 16 inches, so when rolled it will fit nicely into a loaf pan. Spread the softened goat cheese over the meatloaf mixture, and spread the mushrooms evenly over the goat cheese. Carefully lift the waxed paper from the shorter side and using it as a guide, roll up the meat like a jelly roll, pressing gently and peeling the paper off as you roll. Place the rolled meatloaf into a 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan with the seam of the meatloaf on the bottom.
3. Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes. It's best to put the loaf pan on top of a baking sheet to catch any juices that might run over. Let the meatloaf stand, covered lightly, for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Lia Wiedemann is a writer who loves food and her two little boys. She leads Brooklyn food tours for new moms and shares favorite recipes and restaurants on her blog, This Little Piglet.
