New cookbook review

What I think will become my new favorite cookbook arrived the other day, and I can't wait to delve into it!  Aaron suggested I do something ala Julie & Julia, but that would require far too much planning, and we all know that I'm not a planner.  The best part about this book is the fact that one of our favorite dishes is in it...my stuffed meatloaf!  Well, not mine, per se, but the one I prepare.  So let's start there. If you haven't had the pleasure of consuming this - MAKE IT.  But invite some people over for dinner, because this meatloaf is about a foot long.  Really.

Meatloaf Stuffed with Basil, Cheese, Prosciutto and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Makes 8-10 servings

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces roughly chopped fresh mushrooms (3 cups)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ¾ cups fresh sourdough bread crumbs (see note) or just get them from a can!
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
• ¾ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and discarded
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
• ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
• 3 ounces sliced prosciutto
• ½ pound thinly sliced havarti cheese
• 1 ¼ cups fresh basil, cut into thin strips
• 1/3 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips
• Sprigs of fresh basil (optional) 

Place oven rack in middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For easiest cleanup, line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Aluminum foil will work, but you must remove the meatloaf from the pan within 4 or 5 minutes of removing it from the oven, or it may stick to the foil.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet. Add onion and cook on medium-high heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms; cook until mushrooms are soft and liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside to cool slightly before proceeding.

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, cooled mushroom mixture, ground beef, sausage, eggs, parsley, cheese, thyme and a little pepper. Gently mix by hand.

To taste your meat mixture, pull out about 1 tablespoon and microwave it for about 1 minute or until it is cooked. Allow it to cool enough so you can taste it. Correct seasonings if necessary. (I never do this)

Gently pat meat mixture into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle on a sheet of wax paper. With a longer end facing you, layer the prosciutto, cheese, fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes on the bottom two-thirds of the meat. Grab the edge of the wax paper closest to you and roll up the loaf. Once meatloaf is rolled up, seal ends and press down slightly to seal lengthwise seam. Place seam side down on prepared jellyroll pan. (Meatloaf can be refrigerated at this point and cooked later.)  If you don't seal your edges you will have an explosion of melted cheese, and you don't want all that gooey goodness to leak out!

Bake, uncovered, for 65 minutes or until the center of the meatloaf registers 160 degrees on a meat thermometer.


Note: To make fresh bread crumbs, tear the bread into fourths and place in food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until medium-size bread crumbs are formed. This process also can be accomplished in a blender, but with smaller quantities.