Cream sauce covers traditional meatloaf

Meatloaf is the king of comfort food.

And it’s also one of those dishes that yield sought-after leftovers. When I mention meatloaf to a friend, she relishes the thought of a leftover meatloaf sandwich.

Today’s recipe came about, in part, because I found mini ceramic loaf pans at a local store. They are the perfect size for making individual, but generous, meatloaves. They are also ideal if you’re trying to pay attention to portion control.

The meatloaf recipe is fairly basic; what sets it apart is the Shoyu (SHOH-yoo) Cream Sauce. It’s a simple mixture of heavy whipping cream and soy sauce, brought to a boil and thickened with slurry - a mixture of cornstarch and water. You can substitute half and-half.

If you don’t have individual loaf pans, shape the meat into individual loaves and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet with sides. Any leftover meatloaf also can be frozen.

Mini Meatloaves With Shoyu Cream Sauce

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ cup chopped onions

½ cup chopped bell peppers

½ pound ground sirloin

½ pound sweet, mild or hot Italian sausage

¾ cup fresh bread crumbs

1 egg

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon favorite all-purpose seasoning

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Shoyu cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream OR half-and-half

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush 4 mini meatloaf pans or individual ramekins, or a standard loaf pan with a little olive oil.

In a skillet, heat the oil with the butter. Add the garlic and saute 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the onions and peppers and saute 5 minutes or until onions are just beginning to brown. Remove from heat.

In a mixing bowl place the sirloin, sausage, bread crumbs, egg, tomato paste, all-purpose seasoning, black pepper and onion-and-pepper mixture and mix well.

Pack mixture into prepared pans, making sure it’s pressed evenly.

Bake about 30 minutes or until the top is browned and crusty and the internal temperature in the center of the meatloaf is 155 degrees. (A standard-size meatloaf will take about 1 hour.) Remove from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan combine the cream with the soy sauce and bring to a boil.

Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Makes 4 mini loaves.

Adapted from several recipes for Big Island Meatloaf like that served at the Kona Grill in Troy, Mich.

Food, Pages 38 on 07/31/2013

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