Meat Loaf

Simple ingredients, easy to prepare, wholesome in nutrients....On the whole gives a satisfactory meal and a great twist to the usual boring ground meat !

Spices are mixed together with the ground meat and oats and baked in a form of a loaf for a visual feast. The tomato ketchup and the brown sugar glaze on the top forms the crust of this loaf and gives that sweet sour taste. You can play around with the ingredients to match your family's taste buds. Hope you all enjoy as much as I did making this with my daughter :)

Ingredients : 

Ground Meat - 500 gms
Onions - 1 (chopped)
Rolled Oats - 1 cup
Green Bell Pepper - 1 (finely diced)
Egg - 1
Garlic pods(crushed) - 2
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 2 (finely chopped)

For the glaze:
Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup
Tomato ketchup - 1/2 cup

Method 

1. Combine all the ingredients except brown sugar and ketchup.

2. Press this mixture into a loaf pan, which is lined by a parchment paper. Smooth the surface.

3. Mix the brown sugar and tomato ketchup together in a small bowl. Brush the loaf with this tomato-sugar paste. 

4. Preheat the oven to 170°C and bake the loaf for about 45 minutes (a little more when you want it more crispier) and until the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer. Allow it to rest in the pan for about 5 minutes and then remove carefully.

5. Serve warm or at room temperature. Tastes good with Salads and boiled potatoes.

Makes a wholesome and healthy meal(when served alone) for all those who are on "low-carb diet" !

You could prepare and proudly take along this loaf for Potluck parties instead of the usual cakes :)
Tip:
1.You can prepare it in advance a day before an occasion and store it in a refrigerator. My husband said infact it tasted great the next day with more crispier edges. Re-bake it at 180°C for about 20 minutes or so just before serving. This way you could avoid all that stress and hectic especially when having kids around who tend to bother you unusually more when you are expecting guests.
2. You can as well replace rolled oats with bread crumbs. Add some grated carrots to make it more nutritious.