Meatloaf with Polenta Wedges and Green Beans

With the incredibly nasty weather we're having today, it seemed like some comfort food was in order. I'm not normally a meatloaf person... but this is delicious. Jeremy loves meatloaf in general but he tells me this one is fantastic. Every time I make it the leftovers disappear quickly, usually before I get any. It's pretty simple too - just some mixing and then bake! It takes a little while to bake but once it's in the oven there isn't much to do so I usually get some work done while it's cooking.

I use venison for this (thanks to fairly regular deliveries from my parents) but ground beef would work just as well. I would recommend using a very lean ground beef since venison is very lean.

I'd never made (or eaten) polenta before tonight but I wanted a different side dish. I decided to try this... as I was making it I found the recipe I was following was a little too bland... so I added the parsley and cheese. Even with these changes, it was still too bland for us... so we added hot sauce. Next time (if there is one) I'll try making it with all chicken broth instead of water. I made the polenta and got it into the fridge before I started the meatloaf. That way the timing would work out so the meatloaf and polenta were done at the same time.

Recipe:
Meatloaf:
1 pound venison (or lean ground beef)

1 egg

1 c. milk

3/4 c. breadcrumbs (Italian style)

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tbs dry parsley

1/3 c. ketchup

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix all ingredients except ketchup until fully integrated

3. Mold into a loaf in a 13x9 inch pan (9x5x1 inch loaf)

4. Cover with ketchup, spreading evenly

5. Bake 1 hour - until thermometer inserted in center reads over 160 degrees. 

Polenta:

1 c. cornmeal

1 c. chicken broth

2 3/4 c. water

1 tbs. margarine

1 tsp. salt

1 tbs. dried parsley flakes

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1. Bring water to a boil. Mix cornmeal and chicken broth in a medium bowl.

2. When boiling, add cornmeal mixture to water, stirring constantly.

3. Cook 10-15 minutes until thickened. Add parsley, salt, margarine, and parmesan. Mix to combine.

4. Pour polenta into a 8x8 inch glass baking dish. Cool on counter for 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. In a 350 degree oven, heat for 25-30 minutes. Remove, slice into wedges, and serve.