Danish Meat Loaf

        This meat loaf started life as a meatball recipe in the Times and quickly became mine.  Yes, it’s incredibly rich but my friends love it…it’s an easy fix for my guy, the Road Food Warrior…last time I tossed a batch together it took me about 15 minutes.  And I’m slow.

        6 slices of dense square packaged pumpernickel (Wild’s Westphalian is perfect) or 3 1⁄2-inch slices of bakery pumpernickel

        2 large eggs

        2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

        2 tsp. coarse salt

        1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

        3 medium yellow onions (1 cup) finely chopped (not minced)

        2 cloves garlic, minced

        3⁄4 lb. ground beef

        1⁄2 lb. ground veal

        3⁄4 lb. Italian sausage, squeezed from casing. (Sausage can be sweet or hot. Guess what? I prefer hot.)

        Plain store-bought or fine homemade bread crumbs to sprinkle on top

        Preheat oven to 350° F.

        Soak bread in warm water for 3 or 4 minutes. Squeeze out water and tear into pieces.

        Combine lightly beaten eggs, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Using a big mixing bowl, mix bread and egg mixture together, then add onions, garlic, and the meats, and blend together with a wooden spoon or your hands.

         Pat into an oval or square baking dish or a loaf pan, then sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 1 to 11⁄4 hours or until instant-read thermometer registers 155° F.

        Remove from oven, pour off excess fat, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

        Serves 6 to 8.

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