Fennel Meatloaf Recipes

MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
• Trim each fennel bulb and chop into eight wedges, then place in a large roasting tray, drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and black pepper and roast for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel and dice the onions and carrots, place in a large pan with 1 tablespoon of oil on a medium-low heat and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Pick the herb leaves, finely chop half of them and add to the veg pan, saving the rest for later.
• Leave the veg to cool completely, then tear in the mozzarella and add the breadcrumbs, minced meat, mustard, eggs, and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Scrunch and mix well, then shape into a loaf.
• Make a space in the middle of the fennel tray and sit the meatloaf in the centre. Criss-cross the smoky bacon over the meatloaf, drizzle with a little oil, then cover the tray with tin foil.
• Roast for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and discard the foil.
• Mix the chicken stock, jam and tomato purée together in a jug until smooth, then pour into the tray. Toss the reserved herbs with a little oil and scatter into the tray, then return to the oven for a final 45 minutes, or until cooked through.
• If the juices need thickening at this stage, simply put the tray on the hob to reduce for a few minutes, until they're the consistency of your liking, skimming away any fat from the surface, if needed.
• Serve the meatloaf, sweet fennel and juices with mash and seasonal greens.

CLASSIC MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place bread in food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in milk. Set aside, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine beef, pork, onion, garlic, egg, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add bread-milk mixture, and mix very gently with a fork (do not overmix).
• Place meat mixture on prepared baking sheet, and form into a loaf about 9 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide.
• Bake, brushing twice with remaining 1/4 cup ketchup during baking, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes. Let meatloaf rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

CLASSIC SPICY MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion, green onions, carrot, celery, and garlic until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Cover skillet with a lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrot is tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir 1/3 cup ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper into vegetable mixture; cook until warmed through, about 1 minute.
• Mix ground beef, sausage, vegetable mixture, bread crumbs, parsley, and eggs in a large bowl; form into a loaf and place in a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Cover loaf with remaining 1/3 cup ketchup.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

FENNEL MEATLOAF

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and fennel.
• Stir in breadcrumbs; let stand for 10 minutes.
• Add in ground beef and the rest of the ingredients.
• Mix well to combine.
• Transfer mixture to a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loafpan.
• Bake in a 350° oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until done.
• Remove meatloaf from pan and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

THE MIGHTY MEATLOAF

Steps:

• First thing to do is to heat the pan and add some olive oil. Into the pan, tear up some sage and rosemary. Then, add 2 chopped onions and 2 chopped carrots. Add salt and black pepper. Slowly fry on a medium low heat for 20-25 minutes. Let it caramelize.
• Next is a surprising star ingredient, which is fennel. Use 4 medium-sized fennel bulbs cut into wedges. Lay the bulbs in the bottom of the roasting pan. Then, add a few chopped fennel tops for extra flavor. Season them with salt and black pepper, then, drizzle some olive oil. Give it all a good toss. Roast your fennel for 30 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees C.
• Next, take a mix of 1 kilo of minced pork shoulder and 1 kilo of minced beef brisket. Into the mince, add cooled down fried onions and carrots and 200 g of bread crumbs. Then, add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of grain mustard. To take the meatloaf to the next level, tear in a ball of mozzarella. Mix that a really good mix. Once mixed, form it into a loaf shape and lay it in your dish of half roasted fennel. Then, crisscross the rashes of smoked bacon. To keep it juicy, wet some greaseproof paper and cover your meatloaf.
• Place your meatloaf into the oven at 180 degrees C and roast it initially for 30 minutes.
• In 30 minutes, remove your meatloaf out of the oven and prepare a delicious sauce. Take 500 ml of chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of sundried tomato paste. Then, add 2 tablespoons of black current jam. Give it a good stir.
• Pour the sauce over your meatloaf. Place some fresh sage and rosemary on top.
• Place the meatloaf back into the oven for 45 minutes at 180 degrees C.
• In 45 minutes the dish is ready.

TURKEY MEATLOAF WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, Napa cabbage, green onions, pine nuts, paprika, ¾ teaspoon of salt and a ½ teaspoon black pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the ground turkey mixture into a loaf 7-inches long and 4-inches wide, and place it on baking sheet.
• Bake the meatloaf for about 30 minutes or to an internal temperature of 165°F.
• Meanwhile, remove the green stalks of the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Cut each half of fennel into quarter wedges and remove the center core. Reserve some of the fine fronds, and cut them coarsely for later use.
• Heat a nonstick skillet with oil and sear the fennel wedges until lightly browned.
• Add the chicken stock and remaining salt and pepper, and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook on medium to high heat for about 5 minutes or until the fennel is tender. Remove the lid, and continue to cook until all liquid has evaporated. Stir in the parmesan cheese and fennel fronds.
• Carve the meatloaf and serve along with the fennel.