Real Good Meat Loaf Recipe

• 1 large red onion, chopped medium
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound mushrooms (tame or wild), trimmed and halved
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes
• 3/4 cup packed freshly grated Pecorino
• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 pounds ground round
• 2 or 3 bay leaves

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F, and oil a large casserole, say a 3-quart rectangular one.
2. Combine the onion with 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring once in a while, until the onion is turning gold at the edges, about 8 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, until fragrant.
5. Scrape into a large mixing bowl.
6. Set the pan aside.
7. Meanwhile, process the mushrooms in batches in a food processor until minced very fine.
8. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and turn the heat to medium high.
9. When the oil is shimmering, add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
10. Cook, stirring and scraping, until the mushrooms brown.
11. They will throw off a lot of liquid as they begin to cook; dont fret.
12. When the mushrooms are browned and sticking to the skillet, stir in the tomato paste.
13. Cook for a minute or two, until the tomato paste turns brick red.
14. Pour in the wine and turn off the heat.
15. Stir and scrape the pan to release any bits of mushroom, and scrape into the bowl with the onions.
16. Put the tomatoes in the food processor and whir them around until they are chopped pretty fine.
17. Add about 1 1/2 cups of the tomatoes to the mixing bowl, along with the Pecorino, breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley, basil, and thyme.
18. Season well with salt and pepper.
19. Crumble in the sausage and get your hands in.
20. Mix very well, breaking up the sausage as small as you can.
21. Crumble the ground round over the meat loaf base and toss it in gently with your handsas if you were tossing a salad.
22. Dont go overboard though; if you overwork the beef, you end up with a tough meat loaf.
23. Of course, if you dont mix it well enough, the slices will break.
24. So just be gentle and thorough.
25. Keep breaking the clumps of beef up with your fingers and tossing, but dont squish the meat with your hands.
26. Put the bay leaves in the casserole and form the meat loaf on top of them.
27. Season the rest of the tomatoes with salt and pepper and pour over the top.
28. Slide the meat loaf into the oven and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.
29. Take out your handy instant-read thermometer; you want an internal temperature of 155 degrees F.
30. Let the meat loaf rest for about 20 minutes before transferring it to a big platter.
31. Tilt the pan and spoon off any fat from the juices.
32. Pour the juices over the meat loaf, and serve.
33. When you come across the bay leaves, leave them on the platter.

red onion, olive oil, salt, garlic, mushrooms, tomato paste, white wine, tomatoes, fresh breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley, fresh basil, thyme, sausage, ground round, bay leaves

Taken from www.chowhound.com/recipes/real-good-meat-loaf-10190 (may not work)