Garlic Pesto Meatloaf Braid
This meatloaf recipe is different from all the others, in the best possible way! Its surprisingly flavorful filling is a real treat, especially for garlic fans. Not to mention, this tasty dish proves that you can do far more with pesto than use it as a default sauce for your pasta dishes – it can be just as delicious in far more unusual combinations. Get ready to discover the secrets of this meatloaf with a twist!
Equipment
- Hand Blender
- Baking tray
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 3 oz fresh wild garlic
- 3 tbsp almond flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 pinch sugar
- 3 fl oz vegetable oil
- 10 oz cauliflower
- 3 oz hard cheese, diced
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 egg yolks
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 puff pastry sheet
- 1 whisked egg for the egg wash
Instructions
- First cut the garlic leaves in strips vertically, put them in a tall container, and then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix everything into a fine paste with a hand blender.
- Cut the cauliflower into large florets and put them in a bowl. Pour the pesto on top and mix them both together thoroughly.
- In another bowl, mix the ground beef with the red onion and egg yolk and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread out a large piece of plastic wrap on your work surface and place around half of the ground beef mixture in the middle of it. Shape it into a rectangle and press down to spread it out a little. Distribute the cheese cubes evenly on top of the meat, leaving a border around the edge. Put the cauliflower florets on top of the cheese. Now use the rest of the ground beef as a 'roof' for the rectangle and the filling. The cheese and cauliflower should be completely covered by the meat. Then wrap the meatloaf securely in the plastic wrap.
- Lay the puff pastry sheet out on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Unwrap the meatloaf and set it in the middle of the pastry. Cut away the 4 corner pieces of the pastry, as shown in the video. Now make cuts in the dough in the long sides a little under an inch apart, also as shown in the video. Brush the egg wash over the dough.
- Fold the end flaps of the pastry over the meatloaf, and then fold over one side strip after another along the length of the loaf. Brush the egg wash over the dough once more. Finally, bake your masterpiece for 30 minutes at 350°F.
VIDEO
Notes
This meatloaf is really flexible. It works perfectly well as either a lunch or evening meal. Thanks to the tasty filling, you can even offer it as a treat for your guests — so long as they like garlic as much as you do!