Greek Meatloaf

By The Mediterranean Dish · 75 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Lightly oil a sheet pan or baking dish. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.
2. Add the drained, rinsed grape leaves to the boiling water and cook 3 to 5 minutes until softened but still intact. Lift them out with a slotted spoon or tongs and set aside.
3. Soak the toasted bread in water or milk for about 10 minutes until very tender. Drain, squeeze out the excess liquid so it crumbles (discard the crusts if using a rustic loaf), and put it in a large bowl.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, red onion, red bell pepper and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Pour off any excess liquid, then add to the bread.
5. Add the lean ground beef (or the beef and lamb mix), egg, tomato paste, chopped mint, dried oregano and a drizzle of olive oil to the bowl with the bread and vegetables. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper and mix with your hands until well combined.
6. Shape the mixture on parchment paper or foil into a loaf about 8½ inches long and 4½ inches wide. Pat the grape leaves dry and arrange 6 to 8 large leaves on the prepared pan, stem sides up. Slide the loaf onto the centre of the leaves and remove the paper or foil.
7. Fold the leaves up around the bottom half of the loaf, then cover the top with more leaves, overlapping slightly and pressing gently so they stick.
8. Drizzle the wrapped loaf with a little olive oil. Cover the pan loosely with foil so it does not touch the meat. Bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake about 20 more minutes, until the leaves are tender and an inserted thermometer in the centre reads 160°F.
9. Squeeze half the lemon over the meatloaf and rest for 10 minutes. Cut the other half into wedges.
10. Slice the meatloaf thickly with a serrated knife, garnish with parsley and halved grape tomatoes, and serve with the lemon wedges and tzatziki.

Summarized from The Mediterranean Dish's video. Watch it for the details.