Almost-One-Dish Dinner: Layered Meat Loaf

This card was NOT given to me!

Meat loaf gets a bad rap. I mean, sure it's really high in fat and kind of has an odd texture . . . but it can also be really tasty. And with this recipe it also holds a hidden surprise and uses up some of your leftovers, which makes it even better.

INGREDIENTS

1 batch of your favourite meat loaf recipe, using about 2 pounds of ground beef [Tip: use rolled oats instead of bread crumbs - they're healthier]
2 cups chopped green veg (broccoli or brussels sprouts, for example)
any other casserole-able vegetables that you have as leftovers (I used leftover corn)
ham slices - enough to cover your 9 x 13 pan
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can undiluted tomato soup

INSTRUCTIONS

[Note: I apologize for the miserable quality of these pictures. One of the dials on my camera got twisted.]

Start by pressing half of your meat mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.  I started out using a spatula but quickly found that it was far more efficient to just use my hands. Get dirty!

In the original recipe that I found years ago in a Betty Crocker Cookbook, you were supposed to pat the meat mixture into a large rectangle then roll it up. It was messy and took forever to bake. This method is easier and turns out even better.

Layer on the vegetables.

You would not believe how much work this took in Photoshop!

Pretty, isn't it? I happened to have a leftover cob of corn, so I sliced off the sweet kernels and added them to the mix. But you could add peppers, onions, mushrooms . . . whatever you have on hand.

Then layer on the ham slices and the shredded cheddar cheese. (I use strong cheddar for extra bite.)

Drop the remaining meat mixture by dollops on top of the casserole and (again) use your hands to spread it around evenly.

Pour the can of tomato soup over the top. (The original recipe called for strips of bacon under the tomato soup, but it really doesn't add much.)

Put in oven at 350 for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and allow it to sit for about 5-10 minutes. It will come out of the oven looking like this:

One of the absolutely worst pictures of the lot.

The tomato soup has caramelized. Not too attractive, but wait till you slice it.

Pretty, no? The tomato soup has caramelized and really adds a sweet, tangy splash. Serve with rice or potatoes and, if you're in the mood, a green salad. The salad makes up for the meagre vegetable representation. But, frankly, I was feeling so lazy, I just served it with boiled new potatoes and steamed corn. And got zero complaints.

It also makes fantastic leftovers. Yum!

Not the healthiest meal in our repertoire, but it's easy and very filling.