by Tom Valenti

This meatloaf is perfect for a special dinner or a celebration. It wows every time!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
*3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (Start with less. You can always add more.)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 cup milk
2 pounds ground meat (equal parts beef, pork, and veal preferred)
*2/3 cup crushed saltines (You can use bread crumbs, instead.)
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon coarse salt (Again, start with less.)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces thinly sliced bacon (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the oil into a sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, thyme, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and milk.

Place the ground meat into another bowl and pour the egg mixture over the meat. Add the saltines, parsley, onion, and garlic to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Roll up your sleeves, and knead the meat together with the other ingredients until well blended (if you like, cook a small portion of the mixture in a pan, taste, and adjust seasoning). Transfer to a cookie sheet and form into a loaf. If using the bacon, wrap the slices lengthwise over the top and tuck them under the loaf, to completely cover the meat.

Bake for 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 160 degrees. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with mashed potatoes.

Serves 6

An Everyday Meat Loaf

Occasionally, my mother’s generation used ketchup as an ingredient, and the results were delicious. In this recipe, it adds a slightly sweet and tangy flavor.

Combine: 1 pound of 80% ground beef, 4 tablespoons onion (minced), 1 small clove of garlic (minced), 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs (preferably unsalted), 4 tablespoons water, 1 beaten egg, 1 scant teaspoon salt, pepper.

Shape into a loaf pan. Evenly spread some ketchup on top. Bake at 350* until firm to the touch. Serve with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.