Recipes from the Twit Army Mess Hall - Cajun Meatloaf

This is my take on Paul Prudhomme's recipe from his Louisianna Kitchen cookbook, I've posted a link to it on Amazon. com below.

Ingredients:
Seasoning Mix:
2 whole bay leaves
1 tbl salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp cumin, ground
1/2 tsp nutmeg
(0r if you're lazy like me you can use 5 tsps of cajun style meat seasoning, I use Paul Prudhomme's "Meat Magic")

4 tbls (1/2 stick) sweet butter
3/4 c. finely chopped onions
1/2 c. finely chopped green peppers
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
1/4 c. finely chopped green onions, both the white and green parts
2 tbl. minced garlic

1/2 c. evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
1/2 c. ketchup (what ever kind you like)
1 tbl. Louisianna style hot sauce
1 tbl. Worscestershire sauce

2 lbs of chopped meat, I use 1.5 lbs of beef & .5 lb ground pork
2 eggs, lightly mixed
1 c. fine, dry bread crumbs.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add vegetables, seasonings, hot and Worscestershire sauce. Cook over moderately high heat for about 6 minutes until most of the juices have evaporated and everything starts sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Cooking vegis

Add the ketchup & milk and cook for 2 more minutes to blend.

Remove from the heat & add the bread crumbs (I do this now so that the crumbs have a chance to soak up some of the sauce, it prevent them from being like little dry crumbs in the meatloaf).

Sauce with crumbs mixed in

Allow to cool to room temperature (very important or the eggs will start to cook as soon as they hit the sauce)

Mix together the meats, eggs, & sauce & crumb mixture, form into a loaf & bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minute. Raise the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees and bake for another 35 minutes until done.

Finshed meatloaf

This is great hot or cold and slices well for sandwiches.