Sun-dried Tomato and Mushroom Meatloaf

A friend of mine had given me a bag of mushrooms awhile ago, that he had foraged. They had been sitting in my pantry, waiting for me to get inspired to do something with them. I had actually never used dried mushrooms before. He told me to just re-hydrate them and use them as normal. Sometimes, I get a little intimidated by new ingredients. Or it may have been the fact that he emphasized to never ever eat wild mushrooms that someone has given me, unless I am 100% certain that they know what they are doing.  But, I trust him. He is an expert mushroom forager! Anyhow, it took me forever to start using these, but I am so glad I finally did! They ended up being the perfect addition to my meatloaf!

This meatloaf is so so flavorful, but not overwhelming. I made it with ground beef, mostly because my freezer is overloaded with beef from our cow share. But, I think the flavors of this dish would work well with ground turkey, or even ground pork!

Meatloaf is a perfect dish to make over the weekend, and divvy up into separate containers to grab-and-go for the work week. It works for breakfast well too! That was my original plan, but this dish only lasted a day in our house! I might have to double it next time!

To make this, you will need a 5 inch x 9 inch loaf dish. I used this glass one, that I love!

Sun-dried Tomato and Mushroom Meatloaf
[Printable Version]

Ingredients
1/4 cup dried mushrooms (or sub. fresh mushrooms)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 lbs. ground grass-fed beef
1 egg
2 pieces bacon, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced

Glaze
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup dried mushrooms (or sub. fresh mushrooms)
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons water from the sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons water from the mushrooms (if using fresh mushrooms, just use filtered water)

1. Rehydrate sun-dried tomatoes by placing them in a bowl and covering them with warm water. Let soak at room temperature for at least 45 minutes or until they feel flexible. If they feel stiff, soak them longer. Reserve the water.
2. Rehydrate dried mushrooms by placing them in a bowl and covering with warm water for 3-045 minutes. Reserve water.
3. Preheat oven to 375.
4. Combine the beef, bacon, garlic, onion, 1/2 sun-dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup dried mushrooms, chili powder, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, jalapeno and egg. Mix gently, do not overdo it or you will risk making your loaf dry.
5. Pat the mixture into your loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour.
6. To make the glaze, puree all of your glaze ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
7. After the meatloaf has cooked for 1 hour, remove it from the oven and drain some of the fat out of the loaf pan. Then brush the top of the meatloaf with the glaze, then place back in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the top looks browned and caramelized.
8. Drain some more fat out, if needed. Allow to rest for 10 minutes and serve!