***Chinese & Beef Apple Meatloaf with Chinese Five-Spice Glaze***

The head of the American Personal Chef Association, Candy Wallace, shared this recipe during a personal chef conference that I attended many years ago, and it is still a favorite! Far from "run-of-the-mill", this meatloaf has complex flavors and a kicking glaze made from concentrated apple juice, ketchup, chicken broth, and Chinese 5-Spice powder. Try this once, and you'll understand why this was so popular with personal chefs and their clients!

Equipment needed: Half-sheet pan Instant-read thermometer

Meatloaf:

1 pound each ground chicken and ground beef (or 2# of either meat, if desired)

1 1/2 cups Herb Stuffing Mix (not cubes, I used Pepperidge Farms)

1 cup diced sweet-tart apple, cut into 1/8" dice (brunoise)

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup finely diced onion

2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish

2 Tablespoons prepared mustard

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

3/4 cup ketchup

Glaze:

1 container frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup ketchup

1 Tablespoon Chinese 5-Spice Powder

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. LIne a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until it becomes syrupy and thickens a bit while making and baking the meatloaf. Remove from heat once it is syrupy and slightly thickened.

Combine all of the meatloaf ingredients in a very large bowl, mixing well using hands or a wooden spoon, until ingredients are evenly combined. Place the the meat mixture onto the sheet pan, shaping into an even loaf shape. Bake for 45 minutes, then drizzle enough glaze over the meatloaf to cover. Continue baking until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 165-degrees, about 15-30 minutes longer.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a stripe of the remaining glaze on each slice.