Introduction: RICOTTA MEATLOAF GLAZED WITH TOMATOES AND WILD CHERRY BRANDY

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About: I am a 82-year-old self-proclaimed Chef who has spent most of his life in the hotel/resort tourism industry. I have traveled up and down the east coast of the United States from New York to Key West, and from …

A Meatloaf made with 3 meats; stuffed with Ricotta Cheese and chopped Scallions; then topped with a glaze made of tomatoes, brown sugar, Adobo sauce, spices, and a Wild Cherry Flavored Brandy! Good, Good, Good! Especially when served with a juicy baked Sweet Potato and a glass of Red, Red, Wine!

Step 1: INGREDIENTS (For the Meatloaf)

  1. Olive Oil Cooking Spray
  2. 1 TBS Extra Light Olive Oil
  3. 1/2 LB Ground Chuck
  4. 1/2 LB Lean Ground Sirloin
  5. 1/2 LB Bulk Hot Italian Pork Sausage
  6. 2 Cups No Salt Added, Petite Diced Tomatoes (Reserve 1 Cup for the Glaze)
  7. 1/2 Cup Panko Seasoned Bread Crumbs
  8. 1 Small Egg
  9. 1/2 Red Onion, minced
  10. 3 Scallions with Tops, finely chopped
  11. 3 to 5 Cloves Garlic, Minced (Optional)
  12. 3/4 Cup Whole Milk Fresh Ricotta Cheese
  13. 1/2 Cup finely chopped Fresh Basil Leaves (or 1 TBS dried)
  14. 1/2 Cup finely chopped Fresh Oregano (or 1 TBS dried)
  15. 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
  16. 1 TBS Coarse Ground Black :Pepper
  17. 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (Optional; the Hot Italian Sausage might be spicy enough for you)

Step 2: SHAPE THE MEATLOAF AND BEGIN BAKING

  1. Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F
  2. Cover the bottom and sides of a Baking Pan with Aluminum foil and spray foil with Cooking Spray (Pan should be at least 2" deep; Meatloaf will shed between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of Liquid)
  3. Place the 3 meats in a large mixing bowl; break the egg over top and add all of the other ingredients. Using your hands,gently mix everything together until well combined.
  4. Place the mixture on the lined baking pan and form into the shape of a meatloaf; brush top with the 1 TBS of Olive Oil and cover with another sheet of aluminum foil.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes; then remove foil and baste with Glaze (see next step)
  6. Recover and bake for another 15 minutes; remove foil, baste again, and continue to bake and baste uncovered for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until Meatloaf is browned and internal temperature is 155 - 160 degrees F
  7. Let Meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THE GLAZE FOLLOW IN NEXT STEP

Step 3: GLAZE FOR MEATLOAF (Can Be Made While Meatloaf Is Baking)

  1. 1 Cup Petite Diced No Salt Added Tomatoes (the 1 cup reserved earlier)
  2. 1/2 Cup Wild Cherry Flavored Brandy
  3. 1 TBS Brown Sugar (I use Splenda's Brown Sugar Blend)
  4. 2 teaspoons Unsulphured Molasses (I like Grandma's Molasses)
  5. 1/2 teaspoon *Allspice
  6. 1/2 teaspoon **Adobo Sauce (or Louisiana Hot Sauce)

*At the last minute, I realized that I was out of Allspice, so I used a mixture of 1 part each of Cinnamon, Ground Nutmeg and Ground Ginger.

**i believe that the Glaze is enhanced with a little hot sauce or spice, and I just happened to have a container of San Marcos Chilpotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce in the refrigerator, so I dipped out 1/2 teaspoon of the sauce and added it to the Glaze mixture.

Combine the ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat and boil until thick and syrupy; about 15 minutes. Watch carefully and lower the heat if necessary.

IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE A GLAZE MADE WITH ALCOHOL, Any good glaze can be substituted; even one as simple as a mixture of Ketchup, Mustard, and Brown Sugar (with or without hot sauce).

As noted earlier: Uncover the meatloaf after it has baked for 15 minutes and baste with the glaze; Recover, bake for another 15 minutes; uncover and baste again. Continue to bake the meatloaf uncovered, basting 2 or 3 more times, or until you have used up all of the glaze.,

Keep pan warm on back of stove; basting as recommended

NOTE:

When I basted the Meatloaf with the Glaze for the final time, a little over 1/4 cup of liquid had accumulated in the baking pan. I carefully drained the liquid from the pan into a heavy glass container that I placed in the kitchen sink. I did this by wearing oven gloves while holding a wire rack pressed lightly against the top of the Meat Loaf to keep it from falling out of the pan or breaking apart. Then I returned the baking pan to the over and continued to bake the Meatloaf uncovered until it was done.

Step 4: TIME TO EAT . . .

I placed a Sweet Potato in the oven when I began baking the Meatloaf. When it was time to remove the Meatloaf from the oven, the Sweet Potato was done to perfection.

A couple of slices of meatloaf, 1/2 of a juicy Baked Sweet Potato with a tablespoon of melted butter, a glass of Reunite, and nice Red Pear for dessert - who could ask for more?

Mangiare!


Step 5: NUTRITION

I have estimated the nutritional values of this recipe to the best of my ability using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Analyzer (click on the image to enlarge it). Nutritional values do not include the baked Sweet Potato.

(Eliminating the glaze will reduce the amount of calories by about 100)