Dinner is served

(Serves 4 to 6. Preparation time – 30 minutes; cooking time – 75 minutes)

Ingredients:

For the Meatloaf:

2 tbsps. minced garlic
1 cup finely diced celery (2 stalks)
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1 medium sized onion)
2 tbsps. of unsalted butter
½ cup of chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped sage
1 tbsp. chopped thyme
½ cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 lb. ground veal
1 lb. ground pork
1/3 cup of sour cream
3 eggs, whisked
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 12 oz. bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce
Freshly ground pepper

For the Gravy:

Two 28 oz. packs (6 cups liquid) of Swanson Beef Cooking Stock (no sodium or less sodium variety).
1 lb. sliced cremini (also called Baby Bella) mushrooms.
2 tbsps. unsalted butter
¼ tsp. dried thyme
¼ cup dry red wine
¼ cup flour (Wondra, preferably, because it dissolves quickly)

Preparation for the Meatloaf:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2.    Lightly sauté garlic, celery and onion in butter until softened.
3.    Add the meat to a large mixing bowl.
4.    Add the sautéed vegetables, chopped fresh herbs and breadcrumbs, mix well by hand.
5.    Add the sour cream, eggs, Worcestershire and Chili Sauce and black pepper, mix well by hand.
6.    Grease a 3 lb. loaf pan and transfer the meat loaf mixture to the loaf pan, patting it down to remove any air pockets.
7.    Cook in oven for 75 minutes until internal temperature is 160 degrees.

In the meantime make the gravy:

1.    In a 3 qt. sauce pot bring the 6 cups of beef stock to a boil, and reduce by ½ from to 3 cups.
2.    Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, sauté the mushrooms until golden brown.
3.    Add the dried thyme and wine to the mushrooms and reduce the wine to about ½.
4.    Transfer the mushrooms and wine to the reduced beef stock.
5.    Bring stock to a boil and slowly whisk in the Wondra or flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

When the meatloaf is ready, remove it from the pan and set aside, keeping warm. Pour the pan juices into a fat separator (there may be as much as 12 oz.) and let the fat separate. Add the de-fatted pan juices and any solids to the gravy.

We served this with mashed potatoes and LeSueur Baby Peas, real comfort food for a chilly night.

A great wine to make this meal even more special is a fruity and intense Amarone Della Valpolicella!

Please refer to: Meatloaf for Dinner! Again?