Chicken-Pork Meatloaf with Thyme Rice Pilaf

We had a guest for dinner last night, my father joined us for a meal, conversation, and an introduction to American Idol. For the occasion I decided to set a nice table, using real linens and crystal and even snipping some blooms from our lovely camellia bush. It looked so lovely I have vowed to not wait for another guest to do it again. Now, on to dinner.


Ah, the stately meatloaf. Such an all-American staple, comforting, hearty, and economical, or at least it can be. I once had an amazing meatloaf that was a ground steak and veal concoction topped with an onion demi-glace. It was fabulous. And it was $18.

No, tonight's offering will not run you so much. In fact, I think I can say it was less than $18 for the whole loaf--easily serving 6 people. I haven't ever made meatloaf before, and I was looking forward to creating my own recipe. I ended up with something that was pretty tasty and got rave reviews from both the Mr. and my father.



Chicken-Pork Meatloaf
serves 4-6

The bacon-lattice decoration was inspired by the meatloaf in Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. It's very pretty, but not necessary.

1 small red bell pepper, very finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, very finely chopped
1 medium carrot, very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground chicken
1 pound ground pork
.5 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
1.5 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp ketchup
8 strips of bacon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sautee the vegetables in a medium skillet until soft, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the bacon strips, mix very well. place the mixture in a large baking dish and form into a loaf shape with your hands. Cover with the bacon strips and bake uncovered for 1 hour.

Pour off the fat (there will be some congealed on the pan, just scrape it out), slice and serve. I served this with steamed broccoli and this thyme rice pilaf, one of my favorite simple side dishes. The flavors worked together particularly well.

Thyme Rice Pilaf

2-3 Tbsp of olive oil or butter (a combination is nice)
.5 cup of finely chopped onion
1 cup long grain rice (I use Jasmine rice)
2 cups stock, any variety
.5 tsp dried crushed thyme
.5 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add onion and sautee for a minute or two, until soft. Add rice and sautee for 2-3 minutes, until glossy and opaque. Add stock and spices and stir well, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.



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