Meatloaf Olafacere

[Kitchen Witch]

Meatloaf Olafacere

1 lb ground chuck, 1 lg green bell pepper cut 1/2" squares, 1 small onion minced but not pureed, 3 stalks celery minced but not pureed, 1/2 c ketchup, 3TBs A-1 Steak Sauce, 1 clove garlic minced, 1 c bread crumbs, 1 1/2 eggs, 1 tsp dry oregano, 1 tsp dry basil, 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, some Fontina, Romano or Parmesan cheese (or combination)

Mix all ingredients except cheese in a large bowl. Combine well. Put into a 9" diameter glass or metal flat loaf pan that is not Teflon-coated. It is somewhat preferable that the meatloaf does stick to the top sides of the pan to form a crust and enhance flavor. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover. Liberally layer cheese over the top and return to oven, still uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes till top turns brown, juices get absorbed back into loaf and the sides crisp up around the top edges. If desired, broil the meatloaf a few inches from a heat source until you see a bubbling, crisping, and browning up of the cheese surface. The browning of the meatloaf edges as well as the cheese is crucial to the flavor of this dish.

Cheese wrap/saute pan cook method; Cut 1" wide shavings of cheese and lay them carefully in a neat 4" strip across a Teflon-coated frypan. Lay a 1/2" thick x 2" x 4" strip of cooked meatloaf across the cheese in a right angle to form a cross-like shape in the pan. Fry the cheese to a bubbling, browning state and then carefully wrap cheese around the meatloaf portion while still pliable. Serve as attractively as possible upon your serving dish.