Shelly's Recipe

MEAT LOAF WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

Category: Meatloaf

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp chopped thyme leaves
3 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon
Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 cup milk
2 pounds ground meat (equal parts beef, pork, and veal preferred)
2/3 cup crushed saltines
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp coarse salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 oz thinly sliced bacon (optional)

Mushroom Sauce
3 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 portobello mushrooms, cut into 3/8-inch cubes
1 16-ounce can low-sodium beef broth
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, ground to dust in a coffee grinder
1 tbsp Wondra flour

Preheat the oven to 350. Pour the oil into a saute pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, thyme, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and milk.

Place the ground meat into another bowl and pour the egg mixture over the meat. Add the saltines, parsley, onion, and garlic to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Knead the meat together with the other ingredients until well blended (if you like, cook a small portion of the mixture in a pan, taste, and adjust seasoning). Transfer to a cookie sheet and form into a loaf. If using the bacon, wrap the slices lengthwise over the top and tuck them under the loaf, to completely cover the meat.

Bake for 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 160 degrees. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes.

Mushroom Sauce: Heat 2 tbsp butter in a saute pan, add the garlic and portobello, and saute until soft.

Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan, and reduce by a quarter. Remove from the heat and add the ground porcini.

Mix the flour and 4 tbsp water in a bowl, stirring until combined. Add the sauteed mushrooms and flour to the porcini broth, set the saucepan over low heat, and stir until the broth thickens. Stir in the remaining butter just before serving.