When I was a kid, I loved to raid the olive jar. I'd suck out the red pimiento and stick the olives on each fingertip. I guess I thought that was hysterically funny because I'd giggle and laugh and wag my fingers at my mom.
I still have a love affair with pimiento-stuffed olives—indeed all things olive—but I no longer wear them on my fingertips.
The Medieterranean region produces most of the olives in the world with Spain being the largest producer of olives and olive oil. That's why today's recipe is named...
SPANISH MEAT LOAFIngredients
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
8 large pimiento-stuffed olives, drained and sliced (I read the jar label and select the olives in a brine that is as low in sodium as can be found. If the olives you buy are in a high sodium brine, adjust the salt in the meat loaf mixture.)
1/2 cup dry oats
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce OR for a tangier flavor profile, use 1 cup of a good ketchup)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper, prefarably yellow, orange, or red
1 egg
1/2-1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
1. Prepare a 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan by spraying lightly with Pam or something similar which makes cleaning the pan a lot easier. Sometimes I just shape the loaf onto a heavy sheet pan so it will cook faster.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. (176.7°C.)
3. Mix 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce or ketchup with the ground beef. The remainder is saved for the top of the loaf.
4. To the meat mixture, mix in the other ingredients. Make sure they're mixed well.
6. Spread the remaining tomato sauce or ketchup over the meat loaf.
7. Bake for 1 1/4 hours in a loaf pan. In a shallow pan, reduce that to 50 - 60 minutes. Test with a meat thermometer if in doubt. I use a Kizen Meat Thermometer. It's inexpensive and dependable.
8. Remove when done and let stand for 10 minutes just as you would a steak or a roast. Using 2 spatulas, lift the meatloaf to the serving platter and slice. You can use the drippings to make a gravy or sauce if you like.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
I hope you enjoy this recipe. My Mom made several different kinds of meat loaves, and they were all delicious. One thing her meat loaf meals had in common is that she always served it with mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans.
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