Pan Fried Meatloaf in Pepper Rings

So doesn't look like meatloaf does it?  Bear with me!  :)

My mother used to make those super hideous stuffed pepper with this rice & meat concoction that made me gag the second I smelled it cooking.  Oh how I dreaded that supper night.  Bleck!  I love all the flavors involved but just the way they were put together didn't work for me.  And the "meatloaf" was dry!  Double bleck.  Then one day, I saw Sunny Anderson making something similar.  She took a bell pepper and made rings from them...then packed in a meatloaf mixture and topped it with a tomato sauce.  Then she did some funky fried sage thing and she lost me there.  But the idea stuck with me that I could take my beloved meatloaf and do something different than that big blob of meat with ketchup drizzled over top.  (oh, I've done the bacon route, the bbq sauce glaze...you name it, I've ate it.) 

What I did was use her same pepper ring idea and made my own meatloaf mixture.  Then I topped it with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and baked it till all was bubbly and done.  What happens is this - you pan fry and sear both sides of your packed ring for a few minutes to lock in the flavors.  Then you bake them to cook them throughout and what you get is a super moist, fabulously flavorful meatloaf.  My hubby adores these.  He walks in the house and immediately knows what's in the oven.  Even if you're not a bell pepper fan, cook them in the pepper rings and then peel it off after cooking.  The pepper still lends its wonderful flavor to the meat.

(I don't normally do a gratuitous step by step cooking guide for my recipes because I think most of what I do, you probably already know how to do on your own.  This one merited a photo step by step since its a bit different.)  Oh...and forgive my yucky photos on this round...kitchen has horrible florescent lighting.  I try to do natural lighting but what can you do when its night?  :)

For this recipe you will need: a small jar of spaghetti sauce, mozzarella and/or provolone cheese, 2-3 bell peppers of your color choice, oil for frying and your meatloaf mix.  (if you do not have a meatloaf mix of your own, see bottom of recipe for the one I use.)

Step 1 - Hollow out your pepper (I used yellow and orange ones here but use what you can get or like).  Slice into 1 - 1 1/2 inch rings.  Try to get about 3 rings per pepper.  Slightly over-pack the rings with your meatloaf mixture.  The meat shrinks a bit when cooking. 

Step 2 - Drizzle a little oil in your skillet and heat over medium high heat till browned, about 5 minutes per side.  Take care flipping them over as the meat will have shrunk a bit and the pepper softened some.  If they come apart, just replace the ring as best you can.  It happens, no biggie.

  Step 3 - Place about 1 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom of a shallow casserole dish.  Gently remove your meatloaf rings from the skillet and place in your casserole dish.  Cover each meatloaf ring with tomato sauce and top with your cheese.  (I did a mix of provolone and mozzarella.)

Step 4 - Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes uncovered until sauce is bubbling and your cheese has browned nicely all over.  Be careful removing to your plates since they are even MORE soft and can separate.

 

Dad's Meatloaf Mix

The meatloaf mix I used is from my dad.  Its really simple and basic but good and juicy.  Feel free to use your own meatloaf mix that your and your family like but here is my dad's basic, no frills mix if you want to try it.

1 pound of ground beef

1 egg

½ cup seasoned bread crumbs (crushed Ritz crackers work too or panko)

½ cup ketchup (or tomato sauce, whichever you have)

2 teaspoon garlic, minced

½ small onion, chopped finely

1 Tablespoon McCormick Steak Seasoning

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce (or more if you like it spicy)

salt/pepper to taste

Place everything in a bowl and mix but don't overwork it.  Gentle hand mixing is the key, just like when making meatballs.  Over mixing the meat makes it tough.  (same with making hamburger, meatballs, meatloaf rings etc!)