“20 people! How are you going to manage that? Do you even have enough utensils to cook that much food? And when are you going to cook all that?!!”
“Chill Ma, I have it all planned out.”
Mothers can get a tad bit paranoid when they realise their daughters are in the kitchen. We figured that out when we overheard this conversation. Though it did put forth an interesting question; how do you plan a dinner party in a small kitchen? The simple answer: plan a menu that lets you make a few things beforehand. This recipe is one of those dinner lifesavers that can be made a day in advance and chilled till the big night. Also it’s one where the leftovers (which we doubt there will be any of) are perfect for breakfast or a midday snack.
INGREDIENTS:
½ kg minced chicken/mutton
175 gms skinless bacon
2 spring onions
1 celery stalk
Basil
Parsley
2 eggs
Grated Parmesan cheese
Grated cheese
4 slices of bread
Bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Finely chop the bacon, celery, spring onions, 5-6 basil leaves and 2-3 sprigs of parsley. In a large bowl mix all of these together with the mince. Dust in a little parmesan cheese, about a tablespoon should be good but feel free to be as generous as you want.
Crumble the bread into small pieces and add two whipped eggs to the mix.
Add a teaspoon of salt and some pepper and roll up your sleeves. Mix everything together with your hands until you have an even texture. We know how delicious it looks but don’t be tempted to taste any of it till it’s cooked. It’s still raw.
Set the oven at 220 degrees (centigrade) to pre-heat while you lightly oil the cases. Spoon the mixture into the individual cases and flatten with your fingers. Top with grated cheese and bread crumbs.
Bake for about 25 minutes. To check if your meatloaf is cooked, pierce it with a knife. If the blade comes out clean, it’s time to take it out of the oven.
Now, this is the difficult part; it tastes best when chilled. Let it come down to room temperature and cool it in the fridge for as long as your patience allows you.
