Meatloaf with saganaki and roasted capsicum
Meatloaf is a kind of meal that is synonymous to comfort, family food and all together a complete dish. The basis of this recipe is similar to what I use for my beef patties with one of the biggest changes being that this meatloaf is stuffed with Greek saganaki cheese aka kefalograviera and roasted capsicum.
The ingredients needed
My go to flavour additives tend to be parsley, mint and cinnamon. Vinegar added helps tenderize the meat as well as give it some tang. For the meat I usually use a 3-star beef mince to include some fat for extra juiciness. The fat released from the meat also cooks the potatoes added in the baking tray, as I don’t add water rather only some extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. If you choose to use a leaner beef mince you may need to add some water to help the potatoes cook and I add an egg to help mold the meatloaf better.
The inspiration behind the addition of saganaki was first sparked by my fellow foodie friend Helen from @helenskouzina. She has an inspiring Instagram page with so many creative dishes. Helen added saganaki pieces in a meatball recipe she shared and I was drooling at its sight! The cheese melts and adds a salty centre – delicious! I like to add roasted red capsicum (usually the jarred antipasto range) for some extra texture and flavour. I have also used sundried tomatoes instead of roasted capsicum, which worked really well too.
The assembly
To put together the meatloaf I simply mix all the mince ingredients and then I mold it to create a rectangular sheet on some baking paper. I then lay the cheese and the roasted capsicum in the middle. To roll it, I use the baking paper on which the mince mixture is laid on to lift it over.
The Instagram reel below shows you a quick run-down of the process.
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- 1 red onion
- 15 parsley stalks, with ends removed
- 2 tbs pepper paste or tomato paste
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbs dried mint
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbs red vinegar, or you can use lemon juice
- 1 kg beef mince see notes 1
- 3 tbs breadcrumbs
- 100 g roasted red capsicum, cut in strips
- 100 g saganaki cheese, cut in strips
- 650 g potatoes, 4 small potatoes, washed with skin on
- ½ tbs dried oregano
- 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbs lemon juice
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Preheat the oven to 200˚C, fan forced. Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients together, except the mince and breadcrumbs. If you do not have a food processor, just chop the onion and parsley finely.
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Pour the processed mixture into a bowl with the mince and breadcrumbs. Use your hands to combine everything until the marinade is evenly spread.
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Place some baking paper on a clean working bench, add the mince mixture on top and then place another baking paper on top. Using a rolling pin and roll out the mince mixture into a large rectangular shape 23cm x 35cmsee notes 2. Lay the saganaki and capsicum strips along the middle. Use the baking paper on the bottom to guide you in rolling the mince into a roll and enclose both ends.
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Cut the potatoes small, quartered lengthwise and then cut in small pieces. Place the meat loaf in the baking dish and the potatoes on either side. Cover the baking dish with baking paper and then aluminium foil. Cook the meatloaf for 45min covered and then 15min uncovered. After that time remove the baking dish from the oven and cover it for 5-10min to rest before serving. Spoon any juices left in the pan over the meatloaf when you serve.
- Beef I usually use has some fat, if you use lean beef add one egg in the mince mix and about ¼ cup warm water on the potatoes too.
- The mince is spread out long enough for the saganaki and capsicum to be kept in the meatloaf when rolled but ensure it fits in the baking dish you have at home also.
