kickass meatloaf

never in my life did i think i'd make meatloaf, much less pronounce it kickass. but i did, and i do, so i must share the loves.

thanks wendy for this recipe which you gave me umpteen years ago and which i finally made.

tuscan meatloaf

• 1/2 c onion, thinly sliced
• 4 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for sauteing onions and greasing pan
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 lb ground veal (i found all three meats conveniently packaged as "meatloaf mix")
• 3 eggs (for you allergic folks, i substituted 2 T tomato paste and 1 T ener-g egg replacer; flaxmeal is another option)
• 1/2 c milk or soy milk
• 1 T garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 c white fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1/4 t ground fennel seed
• 1 T dried oregano
• 2 T fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 T whole grain mustard
• 3/4 c bread crumbs (i used panko)
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1/2 t hot pepper flakes
• 1/2 T salt
• 2 t pepper
• 1/2 T fresh sage, chopped, plus 3-4 leaves for garnish

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9"x4" (or similar size) loaf pan with olive oil.
2. over a low flame, saute onions in 1 T olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. combine all ingredients in a large and mix by hand.
4. press mixture into pan and lay sage leaves on top.
5. bake for about 1-1/2 hours, or until meatloaf pulls away from pan edges and meat thermometer registers at least 160 degrees.

super yummy with mashed taters and wilted spinach!