Receta Cheesy Porcini Meatloaf
I fell in love with porcini mushrooms when I first made Giada's Mushroom Risotto with Peas . They add such a beefy richness to any dish. This meat loaf includes a delicious surprise. Cubes of mozzarella cheese are blended into the meat mixture and shredded cheese is combined with bread crumbs and herbs to create a scrumptious topping.
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup hot water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 2 oz. mozzarella shredded plus
- 6 oz. cut into 1/2" cubes
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 lbs. ground beef (85% lean)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat bottom of roasting pan with 1 Tbsp. oil
Chop carrots and celery in food processor.
In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add 2 Tbsp. olive oil.
Add the carrots, celery and onion and saute until tender. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Let cool.
In a bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups of bread crumbs and the mushroom soaking liquid (be careful pouring in the liquid as there will be some sand at the bottom)
In another bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup bread crumbs, 1 Tbsp. parsley, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, shredded cheese and salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, gently mix together the ground beef, soaked bread crumbs, vegetable mixture, eggs, 1/4 cup parsley, thyme and cubed cheese, salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and shape into a 10-by-5 inch loaf. Cover the top and sides of the meat loaf with the cheese-bread mixture.
Bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Serve with classic mashed potatoes.
~Adapted from Williams-Sonoma