Recipe: German Meatloaf (freeze ahead)

GERMAN MEATLOAF

1 cup soft rye bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound lean ground pork shoulder
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
TO SERVE:
mashed potatoes
dilled carrots
tiny green peas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, soak the bread crumbs in the milk and set aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet over moderate heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Let cool till warm to the touch.

In a large bowl, mix the beef, pork, parmesan cheese, parsley, eggs, fennel seeds, salt and pepper, and the onion-garlic mixture with your hands. Pack the mixture into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.*

Bake the meatloaf, uncovered, for 50-55 minutes or until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and has a dark brown crust.

TO SERVE:
Slice to desired thickness and serve with mashed potatoes, dilled carrots and tiny green peas.

*TO MAKE AHEAD:
At this point the meatloaf can be covered tightly with aluminum foil and stored. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. (Place the covered meatloaf in the freezer; when frozen, remove from the pan, wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil, label and return to freezer) If you intend to microwave the frozen meatloaf, shape the meatloaf in an 8 inch round, then cut in half, freeze etc.

TO SERVE LATER:

FROM FREEZER:
Unwrap the meatloaf, return it to the loaf pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 325F. oven for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 40 - 50 minutes longer or until the loaf pull away from the sides of the pan; serve as above.

TO MICROWAVE:
Replace the foil with plastic wrap vented on one side. Microwave on Low (30% power) for 20 minutes. Rotate the plate 90 degrees and microwave on Low (30% power) another 20 minutes or until the loaf is defrosted in the center. Microwave on High(100% power) for 10 minutes. Rotate the plate 90 degrees and microwave on High(100% power) until the juices run clear when the loaf is pierced in the center, or a microwave meat thermometer registers 180F. - about 10 minutes longer.. Serve as above

Servings: 6
Source: Cook Now, Serve Later by Readers Digest