Earth-Friendly Mushroom Beef Meatloaf

Earth-Friendly Mushroom Beef Meatloaf | Food & Nutrition | Stone Soup
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I love the grass fed beef, shiitake mushrooms, crisp carrots and spring onions from the local farmers market — tasty alone and “over-the-hill” when combined. The art of combining mushrooms and other vegetables with beef creates juicy, flavorful recipes that are more sustainable. Earth-Friendly Mushroom Beef Meatloaf - meatloaf

Utilize every bit of the caps and stems by chopping the washed mushrooms in the food processor. Saute these and other vegetables in olive oil and drain thoroughly before combining with raw beef, egg and seasonings. The vegetable-beef blend can then be made into meatballs, burgers or meatloaf and cooked.

This meatloaf recipe utilizes equal parts of mushrooms and beef:

Mushroom Beef Meatloaf

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

  • 8 ounce mushrooms, quartered
  • ¼ cup celery, cut in 1 inch pieces
  • ¼ cup carrots, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
  • ¼ cup onions, cut in 1 inch pieces
  • 2 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil
  • ½ pound ground beef (85-90% lean)
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup whole grain cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Combine washed vegetables in food processor bowl. Pulse until finely chopped.
  2. Saute vegetables in olive oil for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Vegetable mixture will reduce in size by half.
  3. Drain thoroughly, squeezing to remove excess water.
  4. Combine vegetables with beef, egg, cornmeal and seasoning. Form into meatloaf shape of choice.
  5. Place in a greased baking pan that allows for draining. Cover with tomato sauce mixed with brown sugar.
  6. Bake uncovered approximately 1 hour until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
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Cindy Gay
Cindy Gay, RDN, LD, retired from her 40-year career in retail services where she created the Healthy Cafe. She conducts culinary demos at the local farmers market and teaches in the lifelong learning institute. On most days, Cindy creates meals with whole ingredients. Her latest tools include a flour mill and pasta maker. There's so much to learn! Connect with her on Twitter and Pinterest.