Country Meatloaf and Tomato Relish

Tomato relish:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
12 ounces bottled ketchup

For the tomato relish, coat a skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. Sauté the garlic, bay leaves, and onion together until they caramelize. Add the red peppers and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley and Worcestershire sauce, cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables cook down. Stir in the ketchup and continue to cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

For meatloaf:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
3 eggs
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork together with your hands. Fold in 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Add the eggs and thyme and mix with both hands just until blended. Do not over mix or the meat loaf will become dense and tough. Season with salt and pepper. Coat a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Fill the loaf pan with the meat mixture, mounding it a bit on top. Generously spoon some tomato relish on the surface. When cooked, this will form a top crust. Place the loaf pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat loaf has pulled away from the sides of the pan. Remove from pan, allow to cool slightly before cutting into slices. Serve with remaining sauce on the side. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

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