Soothing Meat Loaf

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 large sweet Onion
  • 6 plump cloves of Garlic
  • 1 cup very finely grated Parsnips
  • 1 cup very finely grated Carrots
  • 1 cup very finely grated Butternut Squash
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3/4 cup finely ground seasoned stuffing cubes
  • Honey barbecue sauce

Instructions


1. Put the ground beef in a large bowl.


2. Finely dice the Onion. Cut the Garlic into very fine slices and rough chop. Sauté the Onion and Garlic in 3 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat while stirring until soft, about five minutes. Set aside to cool.


3. With a box grater, grate the Parsnips, Carrots and Squash on the very finest grater to shave each into a light flurry.


4. With a mini-chop (or a Ziploc bag and a meat pounder), crush the stuffing cubes to finely ground crumbs.


5. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add the sautéed Onion and Garlic, grated Parsnips, Carrots and Squash, eggs, salt and pepper and stuffing crumbs to the ground beef. Mix thoroughly, yet lightly, with clean hands. Do not overwork because it would cause the beef to toughen. Just make sure that it is evenly combined.


6. Lightly spray a large glass baking dish with cooking oil. Turn the meat mixture into the baking dish, gently forming it into a bread loaf shape. Leave a little ledge around the top of the meat loaf, pressing down on the top to make a shallow surface. Pour some honey barbecue sauce into the shallow area, and spread it as if you were icing the loaf. (This prevents the barbecue sauce from spilling down the sides of the loaf and burning on the bottom of the baking dish.)


7. Bake at 350ºF for an hour. Remove it from the oven, tent with aluminum foil, and let it rest for ten minutes before serving.


Onion | Garlic | Parsnips | Carrots | Butternut Squash