Week 2: Oven-baked Meatloaf

I know...meatloaf...you're wondering just how bad must I be at this kitchen stuff if I'm turning to meatloaf as something new and exciting to try. But trust me, this one really is awesome. It was easy to make and even the girls cleared their plates of this one - even before they finished their mashed potatoes!

Ingredients
4 ounces store-bought or homemade garlic croutons, crushed
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons prepared pesto
2 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground round steak
1 1/2 cups julienned fresh spinach

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the croutons and broth in a small bowl and set aside to sak for 10 minutes. Place a saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add teh onion and saute for 7 to 8 minutes, until translucent.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the pesto, pine nuts, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add teh crouton misture, onion, ground steak, and spinach. Mix with your hands until just combined. Pat the misture into a standard loaf pan (about 4 1/2 by 9 inches). Place on a bakeing sheet and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until cooked through. Let stand for 20 minutes before clicing and serving with a generous drizzle of gravy atop each slice.

Toasting Pine Nuts Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet and bake, shaking the pan occasionally, for 4 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. Set a kitchen timer and keep a constant eye on the pine nuts as they toast because they burn easily.

Red Pepper Gravy In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine 1 cup brown sauce or gravy and 2 tablespoons finely diced roasted red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

My notes:

1. I didn't realize until I was typing this now that I was supposed to crush the croutons. I used them whole and it was good!
2. I had a hard time finding pine nuts here, and when I did, they were $15 for a bag. I'm a cheap mom and this was one of those times. But I had asiago cheese leftover from last week, so I shred some of that up and added it instead. I probably used 1/4 cup shredded cheese...it was tasty!
3. Ground steak...I'm not sure how different that is from ground beef, but I had a 2-lb container of ground beef so I used that instead.

This one was quick and easy to put together. I served it with mashed potatoes and a vegetable. We did not make the gravy simply because I know the girls aren't red pepper fans. I was stretching it putting meatloaf in front of them! But they loved it. I hope you do, too!