Italian Layered Meat And Potato Loaf With Roasted Tomatoes Recipes

ITALIAN MEATLOAF WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Spray a 28cm/11" loaf pan, then line with parchment / baking paper, leaving overhang (Note 2).
• Heat oil over high heat. Add capsicum, leave for 1 minute without stirring so it starts to char (burn) then stir and continue cooking to char it more (about 2 minutes in total). Remove and set aside.
• Place bread in a large bowl. Grate onion into the bowl, using a normal box cutter (Note 3). Add cream, then use your hands to squidge the mixture together so the bread is completely soaked and starts to disintegrate.
• Add remaining meatloaf ingredients, including capsicum. Use your hands to mix it together until JUST combined. Do not over mix otherwise it will become dense.
• Press into the loaf pan (Note 4). Drizzle with olive oil then bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the Sauce.
• Take the meatloaf out of the oven. Carefully lift the meatloaf out of the loaf pan (using the paper overhang) onto a work surface. Then transfer the meatloaf into the skillet with the Sauce.
• Pour juices in the loaf pan into the skillet. Return to the oven for a further 30 to 40 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
• Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve the meatloaf with the Sauce, garnished with parmesan if desired.
• I like to serve this with mashed potatoes but it is also lovely with pasta.

ITALIAN LAYERED MEAT-AND-POTATO LOAF WITH ROASTED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 200°C.
• FOR THE MEATLOAF:.
• Boil potatoes till tender; drain.
• Add milk and salt and pepper to taste; potatoes should still be pretty dry, but hold together enough to work with in a later step.
• While the potatoes are boiling, add oil to a frying pan and saute the onion, pepper, and garlic till tender, but not brown (about 3-5 minutes); take off heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the onion mix, minced meat, breadcrumbs, basil and egg; add salt and pepper to taste and mix very well (use your hands).
• Place half of the meat mixture in a baking dish, shaping it into a rather wide loaf with a flattened top (since you will be stacking the other ingredients above).
• Take half of the mashed potatoes, and make a level layer of them above the meat base (once again, hands work best).
• Cover the potato layer with the spinach leaves.
• Cover the spinach with the mozzarella, again making a level layer.
• Cover this with the remaining potatoes, once again leveling.
• Finish off with the remaining meat, molding and shaping it to not only cover the top, but down the sides as needed to keep the stacks together.
• Bake for 20 minutes, glaze the top with honey, and continue baking for 20 to 25 more minutes.
• Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.
• FOR THE TOMATOES:.
• Just as you are placing the meatloaf in the oven, wash tomatoes, and slice in half horizontally.
• Remove the pips and juices with your fingers.
• Sprinkle the tomato cavities with salt, then turn them upside down on a paper towel (this will help remove extra juices which would tend to make them mushy when baking).
• After fifteen minutes, place the tomato halves right side up on a non-stick baking sheet.
• Place the garlic slivers in the tomato cavities (at least two per cavity) and drizzle with olive oil (to taste, but I recommend about 1/2 tsp per tomato).
• At the time that you glaze the meatloaf with the honey, place the tomatoes in the oven (thus, bake for 20-25 minutes).