Cajun Meatloaf

Sorry I didn't get this posted yesterday, as I intended. You know how much we love meatloaf at our house! Not only do we love beef meatloaf, but we also love pork and this gives us the best of both worlds. It was crazy that I made this Sunday night...apparently it was a pretty hot topic that night. I clicked over to The Pioneer Woman's website to see January 18's (Sunday) post and then Desperate Housewives talked about Cajun Meatloaf that night. The one I made, I adapted from a recipe that I saw on allrecipes. It is different from the one over at PW, so check it out to see the differences. SPICY ALERT!!

This recipe made so much for the two of us, so I decided to make two loaves and freeze one. I'll include the freezing directions.

Cajun Meatloaf

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

4 Tbsp. butter

1 onion, chopped

1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper (or you could use green)

4 green onions, chopped

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce (optional if you don't like too much heat)

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c. evaporated milk

1/2 c. ketchup

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. smoked sausage, casings removed (NOT AS EASY AS YOU WOULD THINK!)

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. cooking oats

In a small bowl, combine the bay leaves, salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, cumin, and nutmeg; set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, green onions, garlic, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning mix. Saute until mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 6 minutes. Stir in the milk and ketchup; continue cooking for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetable mixture from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. REMOVE BAY LEAVES.

Place the beef and sausage in a bowl. Add the eggs, vegetable mixture and oats. Mix well by hand and form into a loaf. (I did find mine to be more moist than I thought it should be, but I went with it and it turned out fine.) Place on a rack to cook because it does produce grease and you don't want the loaf sitting in that.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 25 minutes. Raise heat to 400 and bake for another 35 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

For freezing: Prepare meatloaf with the above directions in its entirety. Allow to cool. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 6 months.