Layered Meat Loaf

Layered Meat loaf

2 tbls EV olive oil

1 onion chopped fine

1 small red bell pepper chopped

1 clove garlic

1.5 lbs ground sirloin

1/2 C bread crumbs

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbls lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tbls fresh basil chiffonade

2 tbls flat leaf parsley chopped

3 oz fusilli pasta

4 bay leaves

1 tbls butter unsalted melted

cheese sauce recipe follows

6 oz fatty bacon

salt and pepper

preheat oven to 350

Place loaf pan in freezer to chill

Melt butter in a pan and fry onion and sweet pepper till tender add garlic and sauté for 1 mins.

Place meat in bowl and mash with hands till well incorporated, add and mix in veggies, bread crumbs, cayenne, lemon juice, zest, basil and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper set aside.

Cook pasta with salt and olive oil till almost done drain and rinse. Stir cheese sauce into pasta and mix well.

Remove loaf pan from freezer

Grease loaf pan with butter, place bay leaves on bottom of loaf pan and line bottom and sides of pan with bacon. Covering bay leaves. Place back in freezer while the rest is prepared.

Spoon half of meat into pan. Cover meat with pasta cheese sauce. Spoon remaining meat mixture over pasta. Cover loaf with foil. Bake for 1 hour.  

Cheese Sauce

2 tbls butter unsalted

1 tbls AP flour

1 cup whole milk

2 tbls heavy cream

pinch nutmeg

salt and black pepper

2 oz asiago cheese*note

1 tbls parmesan cheese*note

Cook butter and flour to make roux. gradually add milk to make gravy, stir in the cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. remove from heat stir in both cheese until blended smooth.

*Note: the best cheese you can afford will make the better sauce.