Here’s the Meatloaf Wellington recipe from my YouTube episode “Stress-Free Christmas Dinner!” Meatloaf Wellington offers the same “wow” effect as traditional Beef Wellington, but it is far-less expensive and much, much easier to make. You might like to make it for a special holiday or any occasion that requires an elegant main course.

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Meatloaf Wellington

An elegant main course that is actually quite easy to make.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Course: dinner

Cuisine: French-American

Servings:

Ingredients

2 Puff Pastry sheets from a 17.3 ounce (490g) package; thawed but still cold
2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
1 medium-size white or yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced, OR 2 teaspoons garlic paste
Button mushrooms from an 8-ounce package, stems discarded and the caps finely chopped
2 teaspoons salt, divided
Grinds of black pepper -- about 1/4 teaspoon
1/2 cup dry, unseasoned breadcrumbs or 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
3 large eggs (2 for the meatloaf; 1 for the eggwash)
1 1/2 Lbs. (680g) 80/20 ground beef
1 cup (120g) finely-grated Parmesan cheese
12 thin slices of Prosciutto (about 6 ounces)

Instructions

Rolling out and forming the puff pastry dough:

Roll out one sheet of the puff pastry into a 12-inch square; cut the second sheet into a 9-inch by 5-inch rectangle. Reserve the remaining pastry for decoration. Put all of the pastry on parchment-lined baking trays, cover loosely and refrigerate until needed.

Sautéing the vegetables:

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they soften and turn golden -- about 8 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, then stir in the mushrooms, the garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt. Sauté until all of the moisture evaporates from the mushrooms and the skillet looks dry -- about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

Making the meatloaf:

In a large bowl, beat 2 of the eggs, then stir in the breadcrumbs to moisten them. Add the sautéed vegetables, the ground beef, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the grinds of black pepper. Mix thoroughly with clean (or gloved) hands.
Form the meatloaf into a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf.

Assembling the Meatloaf Wellington:

Place the 9-inch by 5-inch puff pastry rectangle on a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet.
Arrange 6 of the Prosciutto slices crosswise on the pastry, with their ends overhanging the pastry on both sides. Center the meatloaf on top. Bring the overhanging Prosciutto up and over the meatloaf. Then arrange the remaining 6 slices of Prosciutto lengthwise over the loaf so that the top and the ends of the loaf are completely encased.
Place the 12-inch square of pastry on the diagonal over the loaf, so the pointed ends of the square extend beyond the loaf. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, moisten the the edges of the pastry all over with water. Then tuck the pastry down and under the loaf so that it is completed encased in pastry. Cut 3 steam vents in the pastry top.
Beat the remaining egg, and brush it all over the exposed pastry. Using small cookie cutters, press out decorations from the remaining scrap of pastry. Arrange these on the top (but not over the steam slits) and along the sides, as desired. Brush the decorations with the beaten egg.

Make-Ahead Note:

The fully-assembled Meatloaf Wellington can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours at this point. When you are ready to bake, follow the directions below.

Baking -- 25-30 minutes at 400°F for 30 minutes, and then 25-30 minutes at 375°F.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake the Meatloaf Wellington until its top and sides begin to color -- usually 30 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue to bake until the meat inside achieves 155°F (70°C) on a digital thermometer.

Serving the Meatloaf Wellington:

Allow the loaf to rest for 10 minutes so that its juices can recede. Then transfer the loaf to a wooden cutting board. Cut the loaf into 1-inch slices, and enjoy!