Sausage Ratatouille Loaf

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced lengthwise slightly less than 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons fruity olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium yellow squash or 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 lb hot italian sausage or 1/2 lb sweet italian sausage
• 1 cup firm fresh italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 t. dried)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 t. dried)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 400°.
• 2 place eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• 3 brush with 1 tablespoon oil.
• 4 bake about 10 minutes or until the eggplant slices are tender, but not browned.
• 5 remove from oven and lower temperature to 350°.
• 6 in a large skillet, heat the remaining oil; cook the onion, bell pepper, and squash over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are just softened.
• 7 add in garlic and cook 1 minute.
• 8 in a large mixing bowl, gently but thoroughly combine (use your hands) the beef, sausage, bread crumbs, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and cooked onion mixture.
• 9 place the meat mixture in an elongated oval in a 13x9 inch baking dish.
• 10 form mixture into an oval about 10 inches long and about 3 inches wide.
• 11 drape the eggplant slices crosswise over the meat loaf.
• 12 in a small bowl, stir the canned tomatoes w/ juice, wine, basil, and pepper flakes.
• 13 pour about half the tomato mixture over the loaf.
• 14 bakt 30 minutes, then pour the remaining tomato mixture over the loaf.
• 15 bake an additional 20 minutes, then let stand 10 minutes.
• 16 serve the loaf in slices with the pan tomato sauce.