-JUDI M. PHELPS 2 1/2 lb Lean ground beef

1/2 lb Ground pork or

1/2 lb Sausage meat

2 lg Onions -- chopped

3 cl Garlic -- minced

1/2 c Fresh parsley -- minced

2 ts Dried oregano

2 ts Dried thyme

2 ts Nutmeg

2 ts Salt -- optional

1 t Pepper

3 tb Teriyaki sauce or

1 tb Soy sauce -- low sodium

-preferred 2 tb Dijon mustard

1 c Dry red wine

2 c Unsalted crackers -- crushed

1/2 c Walnuts -- finely minced

2 Eggs -- slightly beaten

1/2 lb Cheddar cheese -- cut into

-1/8-inch slices Parsley sprigs

Into a large bowl place all the ingredients except the cheese and parsley sprigs in the order given. Knead the mixture well to mix thoroughly,. Divide the mixture in half and form each half into a compact loaf approximately 1 1/2 inches in depth. Place the cheese on the top of one of the loaves and top with the other loaf. Pinch the loaves together well, to seal. Place in a shallow roasting pan and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven 1 hour. Remove from the oven. Slice the loaf and arrange slices on a a warm platter. Garnish with parsley sprigs. Judi's Notes: I think a 400 degree oven is too high for meat loaf and so always bake my meat loaves at 350-375 degrees and just cook it a few minutes longer.

I also like to remove some of the fat and juices that accumulate in the pan about half way through cooking by using a turkey baster to suction in out of the pan. Source: The California Heritage Cookbook. Shared and MM by Judi M. Phelps. Internet: jphelps@shell.portal.com or juphelps@delphi.com