Meatloaf With Sundried Tomatoes

A recipe for meatloaf which uses sundried tomatoes in oil.
Meatloaf With Sundried Tomatoes
Moist and flavourful sundried tomato meatloaf on a bed of arugula. (Cat Rooney/Epoch Times)
Cat Rooney
11/6/2013
Updated:
11/6/2013

Now that fall is here, the cooler temperatures provide a good excuse to to indulge in comfort food, and meatloaf is a traditional favourite.

For this recipe, use sundried tomatoes in oil, rather than tomato sauce, to retain moisture, and create a rich, tomato flavour.

Meatloaf is often served with mashed potatoes. Another option is to serve it with a root vegetable such as sweet potatoes or yams, which can be baked at the same time as the meatloaf. Top with sweetened or herbed butter just prior to eating.

The pleasure of a meal can be enhanced by its display. Placing the meatloaf on a platter with a bed of arugula is both attractive and functional. Arugula tastes particularly good with meat.

Add a vegetable or salad as a side dish and you have a satisfying and healthy meal.

Sundried Tomato Meatloaf

Serves 4

4 yams, sweet potatoes, or baking potatoes
50 ml (4 tbsp) butter, soft
5 ml (1 tsp) brown sugar, honey or Stevia or chopped herbs (chives, parsley, basil)
Salt and coarsely ground pepper

Meatloaf
1 medium onion, chopped
250 ml (1 cup) sundried tomatoes in olive oil, (keep oil)
500 g (1 lb) lean hamburger
1 egg
8-10 saltine crackers, crumbled by hand
Salt and pepper
15 ml (1 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
250-500 ml (1 to2 cups) cups arugula

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Wash and dry yams or potatoes. Puncture with a fork in several places and cut in half if large. Place on oven rack to cook while leaving room for the meatloaf pan. (Yams or potatoes generally need a total of 45-60 minutes to cook, so start those 30 minutes prior to cooking the meatloaf.) Remove yams or potatoes from oven when done. Prepare topping by mixing sweetener, or herbs, with softened butter. Set aside.

Finely chop onion, and set aside. Place tomatoes in a strainer over a medium-sized frying pan and press lightly to remove some of the oil into the pan. Heat pan on medium heat and sauté onions until clear. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and place in a bowl.

Mix onions, crackers, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce with the tomatoes and the olive oil the tomatoes were packed in. Place meat mixture in a 20 x 10 cm (8 x 4-inch) loaf pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes until lightly brown on top, and bubbling on the sides.

Prepare a vegetable or salad side dish, while the meat is cooking. Wash arugula, pat dry, and arrange on a serving platter. Once the meatloaf is cooked, remove it from the pan and place in the centre of the serving platter among the arugula. Add butter and seasonings to yams or potatoes. Serve hot.

Follow Cat’s recipes and articles on Twitter @RecipeGirl007

Cat Rooney is a photographer based in the Midwest. She has been telling stories through digital images as a food, stock, and assignment photojournalist for Epoch Times since 2006. Her experience as a food photographer had a natural expansion into recipe developer in 2012, thus her Twitter handle @RecipeGirl007.
facebook
Related Topics