Cooking for Zo

Taste Level: VGR

This was not only one of the most flavorful meat loafs I have ever had but the most visually enticing!  I came up with this idea about 9 months ago when I first made my "California Burger."  I thought that it could be a great base for a meat loaf.  I jotted down the idea in my future recipes to work on book and kind of forgot about it.  Recently I noticed that my future recipe book to work on was getting pretty full so I randomly took out three ideas.  I read them out to Zo and this was the one she picked for us to serve to our company.  I took my Burger idea, fleshed it out, made some adjustments and we ate the wonderful outcome.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Loaf Mixture
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground veal
2 eggs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup red onion (diced)
3 tbsp Barbera wine
3 tbsp fresh basil (diced)
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
kosher salt (to taste)
fresh crack pepper (to taste)

Filling
3/4 cup yellow onions (chopped, caramelized)
3 garlic cloves (minced, caramelized)
1/3 cup baby kale (chopped)
1 tbsp wasabi horseradish
1/2 cup Monterrey jack (shredded)
1 vine ripe tomato (chopped)

Toppings
3 slices maple smoked bacon (crisped and diced)
1/2 of an avocado (sliced)

Francis' Thousand Island Dressing
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp ketchup
1/2 of a limes juice (freshly squeezed)
1/8 tsp ground chipotle
1 shallot (diced)
2 tbsp fresh chives (diced)
1tbsp 1tsp pickle relish
pinch of cumin
fresh crack pepper (to taste)

Dressing
In a small mixing bowl whisk together all ingredients until even, sit to side until read to use.

Filling
In a medium mixing bowl toss together all ingredients until even.  Sit to side until ready to use.
Loaf

Meat Loaf
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl hand fold together all Loaf ingredients until even.  Spread out a 2' by 3 foot piece of aluminum foul and flatten loaf into a meat sheet. Directly above the meat sheet place your bread loaf pan, this will allow you to see how wide your meat loaf should be.  Form your meat loaf into a rectangle sheet that is the same length as the bread loaf pan.  Evenly spread out filling ingredients over the meat sheet allowing a 1 inch space between the edge of the meat sheet.  Gently and carefully roll your meat sheet into a pinwheel loaf and place into buttered bread loaf pan.

Place loaf on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 55 minutes.  Remove from oven and evenly drizzle all of the dressing over the loaf.  Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove from the oven, place avocado slices over the top and sprinkle with bacon bits. Serve and enjoy!