Meatloaf, Plain And Simple

Ingredients

• 1 splash olive oil, for coating baking pan and sautéeing
  
• 2 stalks celery
  
• 1 medium carrot
  
• 1/2 small onion (yellow, white, or red -- your choice)
  
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley with large stems removed
  
• 1 small bell or Cubanelle pepper diced
  
• 6 mushrooms (I used white stuffer type), cleaned with tough part of stems removed
  
• 1 pound 80% ground beef
  
• 1 pound ground pork
  
• 1 1/4 cups fresh bread crumbs
  
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  
• 1 small tomato (about 4 ounces), cored and puréed in blender
  
• 1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 splash Worcestershire sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
  
• 1 splash ketchup to slather on top of loaf
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F and lightly oil a rectangular baking dish or loaf pan. Cut celery, carrot, and onion into large chunks, and add them to food processor along with the parsley. Process until the vegetables are ground.
2. Dice the pepper and mushrooms and sauté them in a small amount of olive oil until the pepper softens.
3. To a large mixing bowl add the meat, ground vegetables, sautéed pepper and mushrooms, bread crumbs, egg, puréed tomato, salt and pepper, Worcestershire, and cream (if using). Mix with spoon—or better yet, your hands—until it's all combined. To check the seasoning, fry off a tiny test patty, taste, and adjust accordingly. Plop the meat into the oiled baking pan and shape into a loaf. Cover with ketchup.
4. Bake for 1 hour, remove from oven, and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing. If there are any leftovers, make sandwiches. Enjoy!