Meatloaf is definitely one of the simplest dishes to prepare most versatile one.
In fact, to make it, you can use many ingredients, such as different types of meat and vegetables, combined with spices, aromatic herbs and fragrant aromas. Typical home preparation, also perfect for recycling the leftovers of the day, the meatloaf is usually served as a main course or as a single dish, depending on the presentation and the occasion.
While you will certainly never taste a meatloaf as good and soft one like your mum or grandmother used to make, there are plenty of meatloaf recipes that you can experiment with, to taste your culinary flair and serve a simple but delicious dish.
In this cold season that never seems to end, what could be tastier than a nice meatloaf with chestnuts? Well, here is my quick and easy recipe preparation for you to try with a few simple kitchen tools but with an explosion of taste and flavour!
For 4/6 people
INGREDIENTS:
400g organic beef mince
200 Italian sausages
500g thin slices of Italian pancetta (bacon)
20 chestnuts
1 egg
4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
100ml milk
2 small clove of shopped garlic
Fresh rosemary
1/3 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
75ml dry white wine
salt
Some bay leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
First of all cook the chestnuts. Place the chestnut in a pan and cover them with water, bring to boils for around 3 min. Let them cool down and peel. Keep half of them on the side, they will go later on the tray around the meatloaf. From the other half, take half to be chopped in the mixer with the milk and leave the rest whole.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F fan.
In a bowl, place all the ingredients: the mince, the sausages without the skin, the egg, the milk with the chopped chestnuts and the whole ones, the breadcrumbs, the parmesan cheese, nut meg, a teaspoon of rosemary, the garlic, salt and black pepper.
Using your hands, thoroughly mix everything together for a few minutes until the ingredients are well combined.
Place the meat compound in a large piece of cling film to help shaping the meatloaf by rolling up like in my below image.
Prepare an oven tray, pour in some oil, half of the whole chestnuts we kept on the side from the beginning, bay leaves, salt and pepper; mix the ingredients with your hand.
Pull the chestnuts away from the centre of the tray to make a space to place gently the meatloaf without the cling film, currefully keep the shape.
Sprinkle the wine all over and place the bacon on the top of the meatloaf. Sprinkle with black pepper and place a few sprigs of rosemary on the top of the bacon.
Cover the tray with baking paper before placing in the oven for around 60 minutes. Wait for the meatloaf to cool down before cutting or you will break the slices. Once you cut the meatloaf you can serve them tepid or warm up again. Serve with or without the bacon, with all the gravy you got on the tray obtained from the cooking and the chestnuts, now cooked with all the extra flavour!!
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