Good Old Meatloaf

A good meat loaf is always popular. The grated vegetables in this loaf add extra flavour and give it a lighter texture than more solid loaves. You can serve slices of the loaf hot,  cold, or heated in a microwave, or microwave thick slices and put these, with your favourite sauce or additions,  between toasted split hamburger buns!

(6 - 8 servings)

Ingredients

• 500g minced beef
• 500g sausage meat
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 2 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 x 45g packet of onion soup mix
• Optional Glaze - tomato  sauce and/or sweet chilli sauce and  soya sauce

Method

To bake:

Turn oven to 180C with a rack in the middle.

Put everything except the glaze ingredients in a large bowl.

Put your hand in a plastic bag and, using the bag as a glove,  "squish" all the ingredients together in the bowl until everything is evenly mixed.

With wet hands, shape the mixture into a smooth, oval shape. Stand the loaf on baking paper,    then brush it over with a mixture of the three sauces, in more or less equal proportions. (Save remaining glaze to brush over the loaf again when it is cooked.) If you like, cut smallish, chunky pieces of potato, kumara, pumpkin, etc., shake them in a plastic bag with a little oil to coat them, and arrange them round the loaf.

Bake the loaf (and vegetables) for 50 - 60 minutes. If you are not sure whether the loaf is cooked, cut it in half crosswise. The loaf is cooked when the centre is no longer pink.

To slow cook:

Tear off a strip of baking paper about 10cm longer than double the height of the slow cooker container. Fold it in half lengthways. Shape the loaf so it fits in your slow cooker without touching its sides. Brush with the glaze as above, if desired.  Place the shaped loaf in the middle of the folded baking paper and lower it into the slow cooker. Leave the paper in place. (Don't put any liquid around the loaf.)

Cook the meat loaf on HIGH for 3 - 4 hours or on LOW for 6 - 8 hours. Lift the loaf out by using the baking paper