Cajun Meat Loaf

Serves 4 with leftovers for sandwiches Author Notes I used to have a friend with whom I cooked on a regular basis. We found a recipe for “cajun meat loaf”–I have no idea where–and doctored it till we liked it. What makes it “cajun” is the use of the “holy trinity”–celery, onions and bell pepper. I found the recipe as we last made it (I’m guessing around 1990) written in pencil on a piece of note paper. I’ve made a few changes over the years. The cayenne pepper in the sauce and the Tabasco in the meat loaf both contribute a lot of heat–feel free to adjust to your liking. I use Pomi crushed tomatoes unless it’s summer and I can get good tomatoes–but meat loaf is really more of a winter dish– to me anyway. —drbabs Ingredients Cajun Meat Loaf Sauce 1 box Pomi crushed tomatoes, about 14 ounces 2 Bay Leaves 1 tablespoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon sugar Meat Loaf 4 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped scallions (which are called green onions in the original recipe–that’s what they’re called in Cajun cooking.) 2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press 3-5 drops Tabasco (up to a teaspoon if you like things really hot) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup ketchup 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1/2 pound ground pork (you can use all beef if you prefer.) 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Directions Cajun Meat Loaf Sauce Pour tomatoes into saucepan and add all the rest of the ingredients. Let simmer together while meatloaf is cooking. Adjust seasoning to taste. Remove bay leaves before serving. Meat Loaf Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil. Saute onion, bell pepper, scallions and celery over medium heat till softened. Add a few dashes of salt. Stir in garlic and saute briefly, but don’t let garlic burn. Let cool. Mix together meat, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, milk, ketchup till thoroughly blended. Add eggs and bread crumbs and mix well. Stir in sauteed vegetables, salt and pepper and mix well. Mixture should be well-blended and tightly packed. Form mixture into a loaf and place on cookie sheet. (This makes a dark brown crust, which is much more to my liking than if it’s baked in a loaf pan.) Bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes. Serve slices of meat loaf with sauce on each plate.

Cajun Meat Loaf