I have no idea why, but I have been craving meatloaf. I thought of making my friend Jackie’s one, but I had no beef, then I remembered I had a packet of NotPaxo stuffing mix.

AHA! Sage = sausage and sausage = pork which I had.

Bingo, as they say.

1 bowl

1 chopped fresh apple OR 4-5 dried apple rings, rehydrated and chopped (keep the liquid)

1 box NotPaxo (or Paxo)

1 x 454g package pork mince

4 or 5 slices fatty bacon, chopped

1 level tsp garlic power/salt

1/2 tsp salt (the NotPaxo already has salt in it)

Yellow mustard for the topping

Roughly 6 tbs of the apple soaking liquid

This is a recipe where you simply add it all to the bowl, and smoosh it all together really well.

I added some of the apple rings soaking water to ‘activate’ the NotPaxo so it all bound together. If you don’t have that, you can use a bit of stock, or apple juice. Mix it all in until there are no dry bits of NotPaxo left. You want to be able to shape it into a ‘loaf’.

You can add more garlic, or add more onion if you want a little more of that onion flavour. Sometimes I stir in those crispy fried onions as they have a very good flavour but more or less dissolve. (For those people who don’t like ‘bits’.)

I smoothed bacon fat on the top (can’t hurt) and then added the mustard. You could use barbecue sauce if you want, but I love that American yellow mustard. Or lay bacon slices on the top!

Bake for 25-30 minutes on 160C fan, or until the inner temperature hits 65C, then take it out, cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes to set so you can slice it. It will probably still crumble around the edges when you cut it, but that’s the way of mince meat!

It was most excellent cold the next day in a sandwich. Just sayin’.