Italian Meatloaf with Fresh Basil and Fontina

I found this recipe while looking for ideas to use up some of the ground beef we had stored in the freezer.  I wanted something fairly low points, and I don't think that 6 points for two slices of this is bad at all.  We really enjoyed it, it was a nice twist to traditional meatloaf because of the Italian flavorings.  It was pretty straightforward and easy and made for good leftovers the next day.  We served it with our standard meatloaf accompaniments, mashed potatoes and baby carrots.

Italian Meatloaf with Fresh Basil & Fontina

adapted from The Best of Cooking Light

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

Ingredients
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded cheese (provolone or fontina)
2 large egg whites
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground beef
Cooking spray
1/3 cup ketchup

Directions:

• Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes; finely chop.

• Preheat oven to 350°.

• Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, breadcrumbs, and the next 6 ingredients (breadcrumbs through beef) in a large bowl. Add tomatoes to meat mixture.

• Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 cup ketchup over meat loaf.

• Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a thermometer registers 160°.

• Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 12 slices.

Nutritional Information

Calories:294

Fat:8.7g

Fiber:2.5g

WW Points: 6

Individual Meatloaves: Barefoot Bloggers

These were great!  We made these on a weeknight and they made a great meal with leftovers for yummy lunches.  I cut the recipe in half, but still made 6 individual loaves.  They were still a pretty good size I felt.  We served them with mashed potatoes and roasted baby carrots.  I don't have a lot to say about the recipe, since except for cutting it in half I didn't make any changes and thought it turned out rather well.  It is not our favorite meatloaf recipe however, that is still Alton Brown's meatloaf, but these were good and easy for a weeknight. 

Individual Meat Loaves 

chosen by Tonya of What’s on My Plate?

Good Eats Meat Loaf

This is a super dish!  It lives up to the expectations that comes with any Alton Brown recipe.  I followed it exactly the first time I made it, but this time I made just a few exchanges of ingredients.  I used green pepper instead of red pepper, since the price difference was significant.  Also, in my mind when I was remembering this recipe it was half ground pork, half ground beef.  So, I decided to make it when I found some ground pork on sale at the grocery store.  I didn't check the recipe again until the night before I was going to make it and discovered it actually called for half ground sirloin, half ground chuck.  I used the pork/beef mixture anyway and we both thought it turned out just fine.  

It is great as leftovers too.  Our favorite way to "re-purpose" it is to use it in a grilled cheese sandwich.  Mmmmmmm, so good.  Actually, my memories of the last grilled cheese/meatloaf sandwich are what prompted me to make the recipe again!

Good Eats Meat Loaf

from foodnetwork.com, recipe by Alton Brown

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

6 ounces garlic flavored croutons

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, peeled and broken

3 whole cloves garlic

1/2 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

18 ounces ground chuck

18 ounces ground sirloin

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg

For the glaze:

1/2 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon ground cumin

dash Worcestershire sauce

dash hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a food processor bowl combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder and thyme.  pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture.  Place this mixture into a large bowl.
• Combine the onion, carrot, garlic and pepper in the food processor bowl.  Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed.  Add the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture.  Season with the kosher salt, add the egg and thoroughly combine, but avoid squeezing the meat.  
• Pack this mixture into a loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf.   Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf.  Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.
• Combine the ketchup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey.  Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

This recipe's name is a bit misleading. It does have many veggies in it, but I would call it a turkey meatloaf. Oh well. It's credited to Bobby Flay and is from the Feb/Mar 2009 edition of the Food Network Magazine. We really liked it. It had a nice balance of spiciness in the glaze. I choose the recipe because Zach really loves the flavor of balsamic vinegar, so I thought he would enjoy it. We would definitely make it again!





Bobby Flay's Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze
Food Network Magazine, Feb/Mar 2009
serves 8


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small zucchini, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. add the zucchini, bell peppers, garlic paste and 1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes. season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are almost soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Whisk the egg and fresh herbs in a large bowl. Add the turkey, panko, grated cheese, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and the cooled vegetables; mix until just combined.
• Gently press the mixture into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the entire loaf.
• Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.