Italian Style Meat Loaf With Sage

Fold a 2 foot piece of aluminum foil in half lengthwise. Place and bottom and up the sides of the slow cooker stoneware. *(I actually use two of these so the meatloaf is sitting on a cross - more stable to remove this way)*

In a large bowl, combine ingredients and mix well. Shape into loaf and place in middle of foil strip on bottom of slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until juices run clear when meat loaf is pierced with a fork or a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees f (75 degrees c).

Lift loaf out using foil strip and, using a large lifter (sturdy spatula) transfer to a warm platter. Garnish with fresh sage leaves, if available. Pour juice into a sauceboat and serve alongside with plenty of fluffy mashed potatoes.

Tip: You can substitute 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley and 1/2 tsp of dried sage for the fresh sage leaves.

cook's notes

I do not pour the juice into a sauceboat to serve as a gravy because to me that is too full of whatever fat was in the meat. . . and if I were to skip using fresh sage (I have it growing in my garden most of the year) I would probably use more than 1/2 tsp of dried sage.