The Random Memorandum: Meatloaf with a Twist…

…or two.

There are a lot of foods I can’t get in India, but one of the comfort meals I miss the most is meatloaf. I guess I could make it with ground chicken, but meh.

Here are two versions I like to make back home. One is with a cheesy filling and the other is an open faced sandwich. I’m not going to give you a recipe for the meat mixture. Everyone has their own preference; some like it simple and others throw in everything but the kitchen sink. What I will show you is how to change it up a bit.

The first is what my family refers to as meat log. But no matter what name you give it, you’ll call it tasty.

Meat Log

Mix the ingredients that you would normally use for meatloaf. Lay out a piece of wax paper and form the mixture into a large rectangle, about ¾” thick. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and green onions on top, leaving about an inch around.

Using the wax paper as you go, roll the meat ‘jelly roll’ fashion.

Pinch the seam and ends to keep the cheese from coming out. Place in baking pan, seam side down and baste the outside if you like; I use steak sauce.

Bake as you normally would and serve.

Note: You can also use mozzarella cheese and top with spaghetti sauce.

Open Face Meatloaf

Again, make your meatloaf mixture as you normally would, though for this I would highly recommend using very lean ground beef. Take small loaves of French bread and slice about an inch off the top. You can either make bread crumbs with this or throw it out your window and feed the birds. Now hollow out each loaf, leaving approximately a half of an inch on the sides and bottom.

Form small loaves and place inside bread. Baste tops with steak sauce or ketchup if desired.

Bake on a cookie sheet until cooked through; noting they will not take as long as a larger meatloaf would. If you like you can top with shredded or sliced cheese. Just pop them back in the oven long enough to melt.