Basic Meatloaf Recipe

Everyone has their own favourite and simple meatloaf recipes and I have had this one in my recipe book for so long, I cannot remember who gave it to me but I think it was Aunty Joy. She always was cooking up easy and tasty meals to serve her farming family so it probably came from her. I had forgotten how nice this easy meatloaf recipe was so decided to cook it again to see if I loved it as much as I remembered. It is something that you can serve hot with vegetables or even slice up and serve cold with a salad for summer months. I like to have a jug of gravy on the side to serve with mine. I never ever make package gravy as home made is always so much nicer.

INGREDIENTS:

500 g sausage meat
500 g minced steak
1 medium brown onion - chopped
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 eggs - lightly beaten
fresh parsley - chopped
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 clove garlic (can use bottled crushed garlic)
1 carrot - finely diced
2 stalks celery - chopped
1/3 cup milk
2 rashers bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cider vinegar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Soak your breadcrumbs in the milk in a large bowl. While this is soaking, proceed with other preparations. In a large frypan or wok, melt the butter and cook the onions, celery, carrot and garlic over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Put lid on pan and continue to cook on a low heat for about another 5 minutes or until carrot is cooked through. Remove from heat and add vinegar, allspice and worcestershire sauce. Add all of this to your bread and milk mixture. Add your meat, bacon, eggs and parsley and mix it through with your hands until well combined. Put your mixture into a large loaf tin that has been lined with alfoil with enough overlap to cover meatloaf. Place the loaf tin in a large baking dish that has been set on the middle shelf of your oven and bake uncovered for approx 1 hour. If meatloaf looks like it is becoming too brown or dry on top, wrap your alfoil over it and then bake for about another 30 minutes. When cooked it should start to pull away from sides of tin but still have some juices around the loaf. This will keep in the refigerator for 3 - 4 days.