Meatloaf Stuffed French Bread

You either like meatloaf or you don’t. Yes, despite good recipes you may still dislike meatloaf. The texture and the ingredients aren’t going to change much from recipe to recipe.

I took on a challenge when my brother confessed he didn’t like meatloaf. I bet I can make a meatloaf you’ll like. First, let me do some changes to our mother’s recipe … Too many onions I’ll bet, and the bell pepper chopped too coarse … The hamburger too fatty … No lean hamburger in those days. If your steer was fat so was your hamburger.

Meatloaf was a favorite of mine as a child especially with the mashed potatoes. Since my brother experienced the same and still didn’t like meatloaf…. Let’s see if he likes this!

Recipe

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F until internal meat temperature is 160 degrees.
This takes about 1 1/2 hours baking time. Meat thermometer is recommended.

1 Pound lean ground beef
Scant tablespoon butter
Scant tablespoon olive oil
Sprinkle of garlic salt
8 ounces white mushrooms-sliced
1/2 Yellow onion-2 T finely diced and the remainder sliced in rings
1 Green pepper-2 T finely diced and the remainder sliced in rings
13 Ounce loaf of french bread (I used a sour dough)-sliced in half lengthwise
3/4 Teaspoon salt or your taste
1/4 Teaspoon pepper
1/4 Cup milk
2/3 Cup bread crumbs-from the french loaf
2 Tablespoons tomato sauce or catsup
1 Egg
4 Slices of pepper jack cheese (sliced as for sandwiches)

After slicing the bread in half lengthwise remove the bread to within 1/2 inch or less of crust. Tear in tiny pieces about 2/3 cup. The remainder of removed bread can be frozen until you need it for another recipe.

Pour milk over the 2/3 cup bread and set aside.

Sauté diced bell pepper and diced onion in  a little less than 1/2 the olive oil over medium low heat until tender but not browned. Remove and set aside.

Sauté the bell pepper rings and onion rings in the remainder of the olive oil over medium low heat until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Sauté mushrooms in butter over medium low heat until slightly browned. Sprinkle with a little garlic salt. remove and set aside.

In a large bowl add the meat, milk soaked bread, egg, diced onion and diced bell pepper (sautéed), tomato sauce or catsup, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Fill the bottom half of the loaf with the meat mixture.

Layer the meat with the cooked bell pepper rings and onion rings.

Next layer with the mushrooms and last with the cheese. Cover with the top slice of bread.

Wrap the bread either in foil, or parchment paper and then foil.

Place on a cookie sheet, the top of the wrapped bread facing down. This prevents the bread from getting soggy on the bottom, or top. In the last 20-30 minutes you can flip the wrapped bread over for the rest of the bake.

When done rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve. Serves 6.