Hey there!  More snow in New England tonight – time for some winter comfort food.  The kids actually really love my meatloaf, but let’s just say I tend to make it on nights my wife has a dinner meeting.  This recipe definitely has an Italian feel. I stumbled on the idea to add the cheese somewhat randomly, but it really worked out.  The cheese crisps up on the edges and adds a nice flavor throughout.

Parmesan Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground meat combination (beef, pork, veal, and/or bison)
• 3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 3/4 cups bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or Northwoods Fire, optional
• 2-4 slices of bacon (depending on the shape of your loaf), optional

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except for the bread crumbs in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  When everything is incorporated, start to add the bread crumbs slowly.  Depending on your meat and the size of the eggs, you might need a bit more or a bit less than the 3/4 cups.

A note on meat combinations… In the meatloaf pictured, I used half beef and half pork.  My supermarket usually carries a pre-packaged mixture of beef, pork, and veal, but I could not get it this time around.  If you like bison, it’s a great add-in as well.  It’s very low fat and a different consistency than the other meats — if you use it, that’s another reason to monitor your bread crumb amount.

I use a loaf pan, as you can see, but you can use a baking pan also.  Fill the loaf pan or shape the meat on a baking pan as desired.  Cover with the bacon, if using.  In the loaf pan, this 2 lb loaf took about 60 minutes.  Your time will vary based on the shape and the type of pan (glass, metal, etc.) so keep an eye on it.  I use a meat thermometer to be sure it’s cooked through in the center.  Check out how the cheese browns and crisps up in the picture below — love that!

P.S. I take thin slices of the leftovers, fry them in a pan a bit, and make a great sandwich with lettuce, mayo, and ketchup.  Awesome!