Mom’s Homemade Meatloaf

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a small loaf tin with baking paper.

Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onion for 4-5 minutes.

Add the bacon and mince and fry for 4-5 minutes, or until the meat is browned.

Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander and tomato paste.

Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and allow to cool completely.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan and press down well to smooth the top.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a knife.

Allow to stand for 5 minutes, before inverting onto a serving plate.

Serve in slices with some tomato sauce and seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes or oven-roasted tomatoes, if desired.

Tomato Sauce

 Heat the olive oil in a pan gently fry the onion and garlic for 8-10 minutes, until softened.

Add the tomatoes, sugar and oregano. Simmer for 12-15 minutes.

Remove and discard the oregano sprigs.

Stir in the sundried tomato pesto or tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper.

Keep the mixture chunky, for a smoother sauce, place half or all of the mixture into a food processor and process until smooth.