I prepared the Meatloaf in Puff Pastry without Cheese for the first time many years ago, maybe a decade. I had three friends over for dinner, all three lactose intolerant. They wanted the Beef Wellington but at that time I didn’t know how to make it as good and beautiful as today. I swear I’ll write the recipe on the blog sooner or later! Going back to the meatloaf in puff pastry with speck, I remember thinking, I’ll make a meatloaf without cheese and milk, so they can all eat it. Over the years, I adjusted the cooking times, the amount of breadcrumbs, the spices, and the salt. So today I can present you with a truly good and easy-to-make meatloaf in puff pastry.
I almost forgot, with the video recipe of meatloaf in puff pastry, so you can’t go wrong with the execution of the recipe! Can I suggest an occasion to enjoy this Meatloaf in Puff Pastry? Without a doubt, February 14th for Valentine’s Day, the Most Romantic Day of the Year, the Day of Lovers. Perfect to prepare in advance and simply heat up before serving it to your special someone.
This morning, after taking the photos, I sent them in the group chat with the three friends. They wanted to come over for dinner! I recommend trying this recipe, especially if you have friends or relatives who are lactose intolerant like my friends. The taste and flavor should also be catered to them.
Before moving on to the recipe, I remind you that you can follow the blog’s social profiles by choosing between the Facebook fan page where we recently surpassed 18,000 users (you can do it by clicking the various blue writings that follow) of Le Ricette di Bea or the Instagram profile always Le Ricette di Bea or even the Pinterest board of Le Ricette di Bea. I await you with plenty of food content and more! I also remind you that the blog’s newsletter service is active, every day a new recipe via email! Free and easy to activate, just view the blog from a PC or tablet and enter your email in the subscription form. You can also choose the blog’s Telegram channel to receive the recipe of the day! Of course, the channel is called Le Ricette di Bea and to recognize it you will find the blog’s logo! I await you!
What side dish to serve with the Meatloaf in Puff Pastry? Always valid are rosemary potatoes, a great classic of the grandmother’s kitchen, or a side of oven-roasted vegetables.
If you’re true lovers of meatloaf like us, you can’t miss trying the recipes I link below, there’s even the Collection of Easy and Delicious Meatloaf Recipes to bake in the oven!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Fall, Winter
- Energy 853.11 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 35.21 (g) of which sugars 0.63 (g)
- Proteins 32.51 (g)
- Fat 64.29 (g) of which saturated 17.92 (g)of which unsaturated 43.17 (g)
- Fibers 1.17 (g)
- Sodium 1,921.48 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for a meatloaf in puff pastry for four people
- 1.1 lbs mixed ground meat (or just pork as you prefer)
- 1 egg (even just the yolk might be enough, I'll explain why later)
- 1 sheet puff pastry (rectangular)
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- to taste parsley (dried is also fine)
- to taste breadcrumbs
- 1 yolk
- 3.5 oz sliced speck (or prosciutto or cooked ham)
Tools to prepare the meatloaf in puff pastry in the oven
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Knife
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Oven
- 1 Brush
Steps for the meatloaf recipe in puff pastry without cheese and milk
The first thing to do, as you can hear and see in the video recipe of the meatloaf in puff pastry, is to turn on the oven in static mode at 356°F. In my case, since it’s a pretty old oven, it has surpassed 20 years, I set it to about 338°F. I risk it becoming too hot and burning instead of cooking. Once done, let’s move on to preparing the meatloaf itself, which only takes 5 minutes. Take a nice large bowl and pour the ground meat into it. In my case, it’s mixed ground meat, but you can also prepare it with just pork ground meat, and it will be just as good.
Add the egg yolk to the meat; for now, keep the egg white aside in case it’s needed. Then add two handfuls of breadcrumbs (two handfuls in a few words) or two tablespoons if you find it more convenient. Sprinkle with black pepper and nutmeg. As you will have seen from the list of ingredients, using smoked speck, I avoid adding salt to the meat. However, if you use cooked ham, add a pinch of salt; for prosciutto, I would avoid it. Salty cured meats always release salt to the other ingredients during cooking.
We are ready to mix all the ingredients with our hands. With your hands, you will be able to determine if the meat needs the egg white or if you need more breadcrumbs. Without using milk or cheese, the binding agent is the egg. For the 500 grams (1.1 lbs) of meat we use, just the yolk should be enough.
Now let’s take the puff pastry, spread it out on a work surface, and create the bed for our meatloaf with the slices of speck, or prosciutto or cooked ham. Arrange the slices of ham leaving a half-inch border free around the puff pastry. This will help us seal it properly. Then take a sheet of parchment paper and place the ball of ground meat in the center. With a light pressure, work the meat until it becomes a meatloaf. The video recipe shows this very important step very well. The meatloaf should not have any holes or parts of different sizes. This is essential for ensuring even cooking.
Having created the meatloaf without cheese, we can position it on the bed of speck and puff pastry. Using the parchment paper, roll the puff pastry and seal the two ends well. The meat juices will remain inside without leaking during cooking and will give the classic pinkish color to the meat. The color that makes my father say the meat is raw, but you and I know it’s cooked. We are thus ready to bake it.
Cooking time is about 25 to 30 minutes. In my oven, 27 minutes were enough this morning. When you set the timer, set it to 25 minutes; after this time, check the surface to ensure it’s not burnt, and finish cooking. You can serve the meatloaf in puff pastry either hot or not. We obviously prefer it hot, but it’s a dish that you could also consider bringing for an office lunch or for a picnic outdoors.
I just have to remind you to keep following my recipes and the blog’s social channels that you can also find here below, I look forward to the next recipe!
Recipe Variations:
If you are not lactose intolerant, you can easily add two nice tablespoons of cheese, and if you don’t want to use the whole egg to bind the meat, which at this point you will need, you can add a tablespoon of room temperature milk.
