Meatloaf

(I adapted this from a Martha Stewart recipe called "classic meatloaf")

Ingredients for one meatloaf (this is easily double-able):

1/2 a medium onion

2 cloves of garlic (crushed or minced)

1 carrot (peeled)

1 celery stalk

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1 lb ground beef (I use 85% lean because that fat adds juice and flavor)

1 lb ground pork (I use spicy but you can just use plain)

1/2 lb ground veal

1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of dried breadcrumbs

1 egg

about 1/3 cup of ketchup (plus another 1/3 cup for later)

1 Tblsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce

salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Put the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and parsley in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

3. Put your meat in a large mixing bowl, add the veggies, breadcrumbs, egg, 1/3 cup of ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and a generous pinch of salt & pepper.

4. Get in there with your (clean) hands and mix it up but just mix it until it's all combined. You don't want to over-mix it - that tends to make it tougher than you want it to be.

5. Form the loaf on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish (baking dish is good if you want to capture the juices to make a gravy).

6. Brush the top with the remaining ketchup. (Lots of recipes call for a ketchup, brown sugar mixture here but I think ketchup is sweet enough as it is.)

7. Bake at 375 for about an hour. Check the internal temperature (you want to be get to about 160 - 165). If you don't have a thermometer, you can cut into the meatloaf and take a look. If it's too pink or too mushy, keep it in the oven a little longer.

8. Once you remove it from the oven, transfer it to a serving plate and tent it with foil while you finish up the rest of the meal.