Peanut and Cheese Loaf

For two weeks in May, my husband and I visited England together. We visited London, Charlbury, and Stratford-Upon-Avon. During our stay in Charlbury, we were housed in a lovely little spot called the Stable. The Stable is a self-catering cottage with full amenities, including an oven and stove top. During some of the rainy days, I would take the opportunity to shut in and do a bit of cooking.

The Stable's owners had thankfully supplied the building with cook books--we didn't have internet access, so the cook books were my only way of finding recipes. I found this one and made it once, then made a couple of alterations so it suited my purposes more!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Cost: About $10

Ingredients
-1/3 cup chopped peanuts
-1/3 cup chopped mushrooms
-1/2 cup breadcrumbs
-1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
-1/2 onion, chopped
-1 small potato, grated
-1 medium carrot, grated
-3/4 cup grated cheddar
-2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, then spoon into a greased loaf tin or ring mold. Cook in oven for 40 minutes.

TIP: Sprinkle some extra cheddar on top for an extra cheesy taste. Garnish with salad ingredients if on its own--see picture for what I did with nasturtiums. Try substituting with cashews for a "meatier" texture.

This dish is ridiculously easy and is a fantastic substitute for meat loaf. It's very filling and one loaf will serve a large slice for 4 people. Double it up for an easy potluck offering.

A quick blog-related note: I know I haven't been updating much, but we recently moved into a house and I've been cooking up a storm, so more updates should be coming before long.