One of our curious family traditions is meatloaf on Christmas Eve! I mix equal quantities of ground beef and good-quality sausage meat
with finely chopped onion and plenty of seasoning – black pepper and dried sage and thyme - pat it into a loaf shape and roast it for about
90 minutes in a 170°C oven, brushing with the pan juices from time to time to give a nice crust on the top. This served four of us with sides
of mashed potatoes and broccoli, together with gravy made from the pan juices: add flour to make a roux, then add water from cooking the
vegetables plus a half-glass of red wine and keep stirring until smooth and thickened (you can add a little gravy browning if it seems too pallid!).