Surprising Meatloaf

When I first tried this meatloaf recipe, I have to admit I wasn't that impressed. John claimed it was one of the best so far.  It reminded him of his childhood and his mother made one for him whenever he came home for a visit from the army.

The ingredients are pretty simple: ground beef, bread, eggs and cheese.

The next day when I made a sandwich with the leftovers for lunch, wow was it ever great! It was even better than the first day I served it. This could definitely be a great make ahead meal.

A little tip I stole from my niece Jennifer when she makes meatloaf; she lines the pan with carrots and potatoes so it doesn't stick to the pan and it adds a little more flavour. I love the idea but I only had carrots.

Meatloaf

2 lbs. ground beef
4 slices of bread
1 cup of milk (I used almond milk because that's all I had)
2 eggs
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 carrots, peeled, cut lengthwise
1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl soak the bread with the milk for a few minutes. Add the ground beef, eggs and parmesan cheese. Also add salt and pepper but be careful with the salt because the parmesan adds a lot of saltiness.

Mix all the ingredients together. I find the best way to do this is with my hands. Really get in there.

Place the carrots side by side on the pan and shape the meat into a loaf on the carrots.

Glaze with the ketchup and bake for 1 hour. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Sorry I don't have a photo of the sliced meatloaf. I forgot to take a picture and just served it :-0

m xo