Garlic Herb Meatloaf

This is one of my kids all time favorite meals.  I think it is the best meatloaf there is.

Ingredients

For the meatloaf:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced onion
• 4 slices bread
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4-1/3 cup milk 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• splash of fish sauce
  

For the garlic butter sauce:

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 8-10 garlic cloves
• 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Place the beef and pork in a large bowl.
3. Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the celery, garlic and onion and cook until vegetables are soft, 5-7 minutes. Cool slightly, then add to the meat in the bowl.
4. Add the parsley, chives, sage and thyme.
5. Tear the bread into large chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to form coarse crumbs. Add the bread crumbs to the meat mixture, along with the fresh herbs, eggs, salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup of milk.
6. Mix until well combined. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. If mixture doesn't hold together well after 10 minutes, add additional milk, as needed, to reach desired consistency.
7. Place the meat mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet and pat it into a rectangle. Then press in the sides of the meatloaf to form a cylinder down the middle of the pan.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until meatloaf is browned and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
9. While meatloaf cooks, make the garlic butter sauce. In a small sauce pan, combine the oil and garlic and bring to a boil.
   
1. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned. Do not let the garlic burn. Remove the garlic from the oil and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock, water, butter and cooked garlic and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until slightly thickened.
3. Mash the garlic with a fork. Just before serving, stir in the parsley, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the warm sauce over the meatloaf to serve.

I doubled this recipe because everyone loves eating this as leftovers.