RERUN Episode 24: Mmmm, Meatloaf with Pan-Roasted Half-Potatoes and Pan-Fried Dandelion Greens with Cheese

This week, it’s a really tasty version of the much-maligned meatloaf, along with some delicate little potatoes and some sturdy greens. It’s a very meat-and-potatoes kind of dinner, but satisfying nonetheless. And you can make a delicious cold meatloaf sandwich with the leftovers.

Shopping list

* 1 pound mixed ground beef, pork and veal, sometimes labeled “meatloaf mix” in stores (or just all ground beef)* 2 slices of bacon* 1 egg* Yogurt or milk* Butter* Gruyere, sharp white cheddar or parmesan* 1 small onion* Half a head of garlic* 1 lemon* Small bunch “sweet” dandelion greens* 2 Russet (baking) potatoes* Ketchup* Brown sugar* Cider vinegar* Mustard* Worcestershire sauce* Dried thyme* Panko, fresh bread slices or bread crumbs* Olive oil

Meatloaf (Mmmm….Loaf!)

The French call it pate, and it sounds so much nicer! But plain old American meatloaf should not be looked down on. It’s great for dinner, but also for lunch, in a sandwich on buttered bread with extra ketchup. Use a standard 9-by-12-inch baking pan even for this small amount–you don’t want the meatloaf swimming in its own grease.

Serves 2 with leftovers

2 slices bacon (optional)

Olive oil

Butter

1 small onion

2 small cloves garlic

1 egg

heaping 1/2 cup bread crumbs (see note)

Large pinch dried thyme

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Big pinch salt

Black pepper

1 tablespoon yogurt or milk

1 pound mix of ground pork, veal and beef (or all beef)

For optional glaze:

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cider or red-wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If using the bacon, cook it over low heat in a heavy skillet until about halfway done–it should not be crispy. Remove it from the pan and set aside.

Chop onions in small pieces, and slice the garlic fine. Set the skillet (can be the same one you did the bacon in, and you don’t even need to clean it out) over medium-high heat and add a small glug of olive oil and about half a tablespoon of butter. When it’s warm, add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, just a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Add a large pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper. Whisk in the yogurt or milk with a fork, and stir everything well. Add the meat and stir with a fork, combining everything well but not working the meat too aggressively. If the meat is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add another tablespoon of milk or yogurt. Finally, stir in the onions and garlic.

Place the meat in a baking pan, shaping it by hand or with a spoon into an even loaf shape, only about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze, then spoon this evenly over the top of the meatloaf. If you’re using the bacon slices, lay them over the top of the meatloaf. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or so, until the glaze is dark and bubbly and the meat is cooked through (160 degrees on a meat thermometer). Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Note: For bread crumbs, one of the best options is Japanese panko, because they’re both crunchy and fluffy.