You can have this entire meatloaf dinner on the table in 20 minutes. My secret for making a quick meatloaf is to bake it on a baking sheet, which allows hot air to circulate all around the meat for quick cooking.
The side couscous dish can be made while the meatloaf is in the oven. I use pearled couscous. It’s pasta that is rolled and toasted into small, round balls.
HELPFUL HINTS:
- Any type of olives can be used.
- Any type of mushrooms can be used.
- Ground bison can be used instead of lean ground beef.
Mediterranean-style Beef Meatloaf
Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1/2 cup coarsely chopped button mushrooms
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried sage
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3/4 pound 95 percent lean ground beef
12 pitted black olives, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons ketchup
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and set aside. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet and add onion, garlic, dried sage, dried thyme and mushrooms. Sauté 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, until the mushrooms are soft. Remove skillet from the heat and mix in the beef. Add the olives and continue to mix. Make sure all of the vegetables are mixed into the meat. Shape the beef mixture into 2 loaves about 6 inches by 3 inches and place on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 155 degrees. Remove the meatloaf from oven and carefully with a large spatula place one loaf on each of two dinner plates. Spoon the ketchup over the top of the loaves.