Three-Meat Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Wow! My husband and I were in San Francisco when we stopped at some diner and had a delicious meatloaf. It was a chilly day, so the warm meatloaf and mashed potatoes really hit the spot that day. When we came back home to AZ, I had to find a recipe that was similar. So I searched online and found one, and I have been using this recipe for a few years (with some of my own special touches). As I was feeling exceptionally creative the other day, I decided to change it up and hopefully improve it... Oh my goodness! This was delicious! My husband and I loved it! Meatloaf is not very photogenic, but it sure does taste good! :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1-1/2 cups onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

2 tbsp garlic, minced

1 tbsp dry Italian seasoning, crushed

1 pound ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

12 oz Chorizo, casings removed

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (regular or Italian bread crumbs are fine)

Pepper as desired

1/4 to 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato spread (as needed to cover the loaf)

In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, celery, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, sausage, chorizo, onion mixture, sun-dried tomatoes, cilantro, eggs, bread crumbs, and pepper. Transfer meat mixture to a large but shallow baking dish and shape it into a flat loaf about 2-1/2 inches thick. There will be a large amount of mixture at this point. You may also use a loaf pan if desired. Smooth the top of the loaf with the back of a spoon. Spread sun-dried tomato spread on top of loaf, coating evenly.

Bake about 1-1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf registers 165 F. Let rest on a rack for 10 minutes before slicing. Add more sun-dried tomato spread atop your loaf as desired. Serve hot with mashed potatoes and veggies. Serves 6 to 8. 

Three-Meat Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes