Meatloaf and cheese

Talking about hearty dishes previously, I bet I can top it with another classic?!

I love a good juicy meatloaf. As a kid my mum made a lot with boiled egg in the middle and pork mince. Delicious, without fail! However it has been crispy on the outside ( yum) somewhat drier in the inside.

Karim and I both are into cooking and somehow decided if it's meatloaf it has to be an American recipe. We found a really good one which happens to be a success every time, especially around Christmas.

This time however I came across Nigella Lawson's meat loaf recipe. It's American, of course.

If anyone knows me, I never stick to a recipe. I have a vision in front of me and an idea about the flavour combos and what ingredients would work together. I am on it.

I knew cheddar cheese works magically in a meatloaf but what I really was curious about - how Culpeper cheese work out?

Yes! It is a herb coated, mould ripen jersey cows milk cheese and I can confirm that works magically! If anything helps with the moist texture and you can taste the gentle herb mixture with a lovely melted cheese.

Why not see it for yourself?

The recipe I came up with is the following:

Ingredients:

1 pound each: beef, lamb & pork mince

4 medium onions, peeled and chopped fine

1 tbsp goose fat or butter

1 garlic clove fine cut or minced

1 cup bread crumb

2 eggs

2 boiled eggs

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 thyme

2tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Ketchup ( optional results a wonderful crust)

2 Culpeper cheese

Seasoning: freshly ground black or green or mixture of pepper and salt

10ounces thin-cut rindless bacon

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 Celsius.

Boil two eggs gently for 7 minutes.

Rinse them through and peel them when you can handle.

Sauté the onions on goose fat until soft and see through for about 20-25 minutes.

Let it cool slightly so you can handle it with bare hand.

Mix the mince meat together with your hand adding Worcestershire sauce, chopped herbs and seasoning, add the two eggs. Mix it through throughly then ass the onions and finally the breadcrumb. Mix it well - you should aim for a pudding texture.

If you have a loaf tin - it's perfect for shaping your meatloaf or any other oval dishes. It is easy to use a spatula for filling and shaping or alternatively use a tin foil in the tin.

Place half of the mixture in your dish or on the foil. Make a line in the middle and place your boiled eggs and Culpeper cheese in the middle.

Shape the remaining mound over the top of the eggs and Culpeper cheese and pat it into a solid loaf. Compress the meatloaf to get rid of any holes, but don't overwork it.

Use your spatula to gently form your meatloaf or roll the tin foil and shape it that way.

Take the tin foil out before baking.

Squirt ketchup over the meatloaf - remember it helps with a great crust. If you are using bacon then skip the ketchup step and wrap your meatloaf around, tucking the bacon ends underneath the meatloaf as best you can avoid its curling up as it cooks.

Bake it for an hour at least, until the juices run clear or check if the meat thermometer reads at least 150 Celsius.

Let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes then its ready to serve.

Lovely with mash potatoes and gerkins.

Have you ever tasted meatloaf cold?! Just as delish as warm.

We enjoyed it with a Tasmanian fizz but a full bodied red wine would be an ultimate choice.

Happy cooking!

Until next time

#meatloaf #cheese #americanrecipe #classic #culpepercheese #cookingwithchees