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Title: Kafta In A Tray With Potatoes
Categories: Lebanese, Meatloaf
Yield: 8 Servings

2 lb Extra lean ground beef (may
-use ground lamb for a
-Middle Eastern flavor)
2 1/2 lb Potatoes (5 Russet)
1/2 bn Parsley
1 Onion
28 oz Can Italian plum tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Cinnamon

My Lebanese Aunt Amal's kafta with potatoes is a wonderful, homey,
easy-to-make alternative to meatloaf. It is not much more work than a
simple meatloaf, and since it features potatoes and tomatoes as well
as meat, you don't have to make anything else for dinner but a nice
green salad.

Cut the potatoes into large, even chunks about 1x2", and steam them
until not quite done (you may boil them but I don't like how they
crumble apart). It is traditional to peel the potatoes first; I think
the peels are healthy and it's less work to leave them on. Looks
messier, however. Preheat oven to 350°F (mine is slow so I dialed up
to 375°F).

While potatoes are cooking, chop the onion fine (don't use the food
processor, says Aunt Amal, makes the onion too watery). Chop the
parsley as fine as possible (I did use the FP for this). Mix into the
ground beef with your hands, season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
Press into a lightly oiled large baking pan (I used 2: a large oval
and a small oval. A lasagne pan would work). The meat was about an
inch deep.

Bake the meat for a good 15 minutes, until it is half cooked and
releases fat and liquid. Remove pan from oven and pour liquid off.
Slice meat into squares or diagonally into diamonds, about 2" across.
Layer cooked potatoes, followed by sliced tomatoes, over meat. You
may use fresh tomatoes, but only if they're in season! Salt and
pepper vegetables lightly, and pour some of the juice from canned
tomatoes over all. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

Return the pan to the oven and bake another 45 minutes or until meat
is done and tomatoes are "roasty" looking on top.

Aunt Amal says you should always serve pickles with this dish: she
used yellow banana peppers she bought in bulk at Sam's, dill pickles,
and quartered white onions served raw.

This dish could be easily multiplied for a crowd, and can be served
at room temperature.

Recipe by Aunt Amal

Recipe FROM: <https://web.archive.org/web/20170327115449/
http://recfoodcooking.org/sigs/Leila/
Kafta in a Tray with Potatoes.html>

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