Meatloaf with Chard

The meatloaf with chard is a rich and hearty dish, perfect for a family dinner. Here’s the recipe with an Italian twist:

Ingredients

• 600 g of ground meat (beef or a mix of beef and pork)
• 400 g of chard, already cleaned
• 1 large egg
• 80 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 50 g of breadcrumbs
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Nutmeg to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Butter to taste (for greasing the baking dish)
• Slices of bacon or cured ham (optional for a richer version)

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the chard, removing the harder parts. Thoroughly wash the leaves and blanch them in salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain the chard and squeeze it well to remove excess water.

2. Finely chop the blanched chard and put it in a large bowl.

3. Add the ground meat, egg, grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, finely chopped garlic cloves, a grating of nutmeg, and then salt and pepper to your taste. Mix the ingredients to blend them well.

4. Prepare a baking dish by greasing it with some butter. Take the meat and chard mixture and form a meatloaf with an oval or elongated shape. If you want, you can wrap the meatloaf with slices of bacon or cured ham to add flavor and crispness.

5. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) and, once hot, bake the meatloaf. Cook for about 40-50 minutes or until it is well browned on the outside.

6. Once cooked, let the meatloaf rest for a few minutes before slicing it.

Interesting Facts

Meatloaf is a very versatile dish, and you can vary the filling by adding ingredients of your choice such as mushrooms, olives, capers, or whatever you prefer. The chard adds a touch of color and a pleasant contrast in flavors but can also be substituted with spinach or other green leafy vegetables. Moreover, in some Italian variants, the meatloaf is cooked in tomato sauce for an even richer flavor.