The Farm Grown Gastronome: Meatloaf Parmesan

Meatloaf Parmesan

“Meatloaf” There are very few more unappetizing food names in the English language than “meatloaf.” A loaf of meat. Sounds weird and completely unappetizing. I wish we could rename it…let’s try and see if it catches on! How about “pain de viande” – the French name for meatloaf. Everything sounds better in French, doesn’t it? Join me in my crusade to turn meatloaf into something beautiful and elegant!

Honestly, I think meatloaf gets a bum rap because of the dry, tasteless loafs of meat we have all experienced a number of times throughout life (cafeteria meatloaf, anyone?). They can also be the other extreme…so heavy and greasy that you can hardly even eat it. I have found though, that there are variations of meatloaf out there in recipe land, that are completely worthy of passing over my lips and are actually even worthy of sharing with company! This meatloaf variation is rooted in a recipe I received at my bridal shower. I have no idea who gave it to me, but we absolutely love it! I’ve shared the recipe with others too who have raved about the flavors. So thank you to my mystery recipe donor. I am now sharing your recipe with the world (or my little section of it)!

Keep in mind, meatloaf can be lightened and still kept delicious by mixing your meats. I usually make it with half ground turkey breast (often marked “99% fat free” at the grocery store) and half ground beef. This reduces the fat significantly, while still maintaining the flavor and juiciness of a good meatloaf.

Here it goes…Pain de Viande Parmesan:

Ingredients
1 ½ Pounds ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, pork or any combination)

½ Cup Bread crumbs

½ Cup onion, diced

1 Egg

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ Teaspoons Italian seasoning blend

1 Teaspoon salt

1/8 Teaspoon pepper

¼ Cup Parmesan

1 ½ Cups spaghetti sauce (a little more if using a lean ground meat)

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then the first step, as usual, is to prep your ingredients. You need to dice the onion and mince the garlic. If you are using fresh Parmesan cheese, you will want to grate that awhile too.

Step 2

Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, onion, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, 2 Tablespoons Parmesan and ½ cup spaghetti sauce (a little more for moisture if using lean meat). Mix them by hand until they are just combined…you don’t want to over work your meat or it will get tough.

When the ingredients seem equally distributed throughout the meat, form it into a loaf in a shallow baking dish and bake the pain de viande for 45 minutes.

Step 3

Bring your pain de viande out of the oven and drain any excess fat you might have in the dish. Then spread the remaining spaghetti sauce on top of the loaf. Top the sauce with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake it for another 15 – 20 minutes. Then let it sit for a few minutes before cutting, so all the juices can redistribute through the meat.