Meatloaf!

This ain't your mama's meatloaf. I was minding my own business this afternoon, casually watching Food Network in the background, when Bobby Flay's Throwdown came on. They were making meatloaf. It looked good. So I decided to make some! So off I went. I noticed at the end of the show that Bobby lost the competition, so I figured I had to come up with my own. I've never made meatloaf before, so it's kind of like I had a clean slate to work with! The result was a flavorful, moist, and rich meatloaf! Let me tell you.. I WILL be making this again, and I WON'T be changing a thing. :)

Balsamic Glazed Meatloaf
Stuffed with mozzarella, basil, and roasted tomatoes

For the roasted tomatoes:
sugar plum grape tomatoes (20-25 or so)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
fresh thyme

For the meat mixture:
1 medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper (or red or yellow), finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, crushed/chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lb ground beef (80% or 85% lean)
1 lb ground bison
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
5-6 large basil leaves

For the glaze:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Make the roasted tomatoes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each tomato in half lengthwise and lay cut-side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, ground pepper, and thyme leaves as you see fit. Roast in the oven until tomatoes are soft and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.

Cook the vegetables. Heat up a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Saute until vegetables are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Prepare the meat mixture. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, parsley, and thyme. This will ensure that the herbs are distributed evenly throughout the meat. Add the meat, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, and cooked vegetables, with salt and ground pepper to taste. Mix with your hands until evenly blended.

Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Assemble the meatloaf. Place roughly 1/2 of the meat mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the size and shape of your meatloaf. Line up the basil leaves down the middle of the meat, followed by the mozzarella, then topped with roasted tomatoes. Use the remaining meat mixture to cover the stuffing. In a separate small bowl, prepare the glaze by whisking together the ketchup, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Brush the glaze over the entire meatloaf.

Bake uncovered for about 1 hour. Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Here are a few pictures of the process:

 The ingredients
Note the wine: pretty much essential for an enjoyable evening ;)

The tomatoes, ready for roasting

Almost done roasting..

Veggies ready to saute

Meat mixture

Layering the basil and mozzarella

Followed by the tomatoes and the rest of the meat

Brushing the glaze over the formed loaf

Fully glazed

Fresh out of the oven

Look at the gooey cheese!