Meatloaf & Mushroom Gravy

Food Category: PG, Southern Comfort
Difficulty: Easy

If you are searching for schnitzel with a mushroom gravy, here's my recipe & method for Jaegerschnitzel.

Meatloaf

2 lbs ground sirloin, extra lean
one finely chopped onion
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 medium eggs
1/2 c skim milk
season with: Worcestershire & steak sauce, salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder

Here is a basic meatloaf recipe if you need one.

Mushroom Gravy

slice package of mushrooms
cook in a non-stick skillet with evoo & butter
once most of the liquid is cooked off, add a splash or three of red wine
(make it worth the effort of popping the cork)
reduce wine by half
packet of brown gravy + 1 cup cold water, add to mushrooms
cook until thickened

Prinzessin Bohnen - Princess Green Beans

cook 2-3 slices of chopped bacon (center cut, reduced fat) until fat is rendered
add one clove fresh garlic, minced
add fresh (or frozen) whole green beans
add a little water if needed
stirfry/sautee until done
season with salt & pepper

If the green beans get a little "blackened" in the cooking process, that's okay. They always look like that at the German restaurants.

Serve with:

Mashed Potatoes
Pillsbury Frozen Dinner Rolls

I realize that most meatloaf recipes strictly forbid using lean meat as not to produce a dry product. Since moist=fat, a little dry is okay with me. That's what the gravy is for.

Oatmeal is one of those SuperFoods that we should all eat more of because of the fiber and cholesterol reducing properties. I know that SuperFood integrity is probably not totally maintained when added to red meat, but it's better than using worthless white fiberless crackers or bread crumbs as a binding agent.

You can brush a ketchup glaze onto the meatloaf. I don't because Laze-E won't touch it if I do & it's not that big of a taste issue. Again, that's what the gravy is for.

Meatloaf can be cooked in the crockpot. 2 lbs of meat can cook for 8-10 hours on low. I would add some beef broth if using a leaner meat.

Nothing in this meal is difficult to make, just time consuming and definitely makes for some dirty dishes. If you are going to all this trouble, make enough to have leftovers for at least a whole other meal. Cook once, eat twice . . . or thrice.

Leftover potential: straight-up leftovers out of the fridge or meatloaf, potatoes & beans can be frozen - either for a complete meal or for a future soup. Gravy usually can be frozen, but I'm not sure how the mushrooms would fair. I wouldn't.