Diner Meat Loaf

By 1For_Him

"Oven-roasted tomato sauce is a nice addition to this traditional meat loaf," says Joan Airey, a grain and cattle farmer from Rivers, Manitoba. "To bake it, I line my broiler pan with foil, with holes poked in so the fat drains through. It browns beautifully."

Ingredients

• BAKED TOMATO SAUCE:
• 1 * 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 * 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 * 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 * 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 * 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 * 1/3 cup ketchup
• 3/4 * 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
• 1 * 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 * 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 * 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 * 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 * 2 pounds ground beef
• *
• 1 * 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 * 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 * 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 * 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 * 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 1 hour + standing

In a large skillet, saute onion and celery in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, ketchup, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg and onion mixture. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.

Shape into a loaf. Place in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until no pink remains and a meat thermometer reads 160°.

Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients in an ungreased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Let meat loaf stand for 10 minutes before slicing; serve with tomato sauce. Yield: 8 servings.


Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 323 calories, 19 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 128 mg cholesterol, 711 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 26 g protein.

Diner Meat Loaf published in Taste of Home April/May 2007, p20