Meat Loaf Road
Posted
Sat, 10/04/03
Meat loaf has to be the most challenging of meals to prepare. For the most part, it is dry and boring and certainly not very inspiring. However, a few days ago I found a wonderful recipe for Beef & Mushroom Meat Loaf from "Cooking Pleasures," a publication from the Cooking Club of America (now defunct).
Being a big fan of mushrooms, the dish caught my eye. I had to try it, if only for the sole purpose of being able to say meat loaf wasn't boring.
Beef & Mushroom Meat Loaf
2 TBS butter
Heat the oven to 350-degrees F. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onions; cook and stir for four to six minutes, or until mushrooms and onions are softened and the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the garlic; cook thirty seconds or until fragrant. Place entire mixture into a large bowl and cool to room temperature. Stir the egg, sour cream, mustard, bread crumbs, thyme, salt and black pepper into the mushroom mixture. Add the ground beef and mix together by hand or with a large fork until ingredients are evenly blended. Press into a loaf pan (preferably 8-1/2x4-inches), or place freeform loaf in a shallow baking pan. Place the bacon strip evenly over the top. Bake fifty to sixty minutes or until the meat loaf is firm and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven; loosely cover with foil. Let stand fifteen minutes before slicing and serving.
I'd also add a small can of tomato paste or sauce, and increase the bacon strips to two or three. Additionally, ground chuck is slightly higher in fat content but is much better-tasting than ground beef because it retains more moisture. There's nothing worse than dry meat loaf.
Tags: Entrees;
Food Magazines;
Mushrooms
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