Herb Spiced Meat Loaf

A new recipe I tried tonight is for the Herb Spiced Meat Loaf from the Land O Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes. It makes quite a lot so I made it in two loaves and sent one home with my daughter for her and her family for supper. She also served it with baked potatoes as did I.

 Everyone thought it was quite good. I would have liked it better with a little less tomato but was outvoted. Our local Fareway store has a old fashioned meat counter and I bought their ground pork that had been ground this morning. Also used their store grind 85% lean ground beef. There was very little fat in the bottom of the pan. I did not make the gravy as we were having baked potatoes and do not like gravy on our meat.

I would suggest cutting the recipe in half if you are serving a smaller family.

Herb-Spiced Meat Loaf

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (I put bread slices in food processor for crumbs)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped red or green pepper

1/2 cup tomato sauce

6 ounce can tomato paste

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 eggs slightly beaten

2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (dried will work, use 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1 Tablespoon sage leaves, rub with fingers

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

Gravy

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves

Heat oven to 350°. In large bowl stir together all ingredients except gravy ingredients. (Your clean hands work best)

Form into loaf; place in 13 x 9 baking pam. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes.

Reserve pan juices. in 1 quart saucepan stir together whipping cream, flour, thyme and reserved 1/4 cup pan juices. If not enough pan juices add water to meat loaf pan  and scrape up brown bits in pan. Heat stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Serve with meat loaf.