So says AI when I asked for a “traditional meatloaf” image…and this is, indeed a satisfying and comforting meal.
I made the meatloaf you see above, and will be sharing th recipe – I got on this “meatloaf train” when I had some leftovers in the refrigerator – when I grew up a meatloaf was everything about to go bad in the fridge!
I decided to look up the definite of a “Meatloaf”, and here’s what popped up:
Meatloaf is a culinary dish made from seasoned ground meat that is mixed with binding agents and extra ingredients, formed into a distinctive “loaf shape“, and then baked or smoked.
As I said, my “binding agents and extra ingredients” could have been old cottage cheese!
So, a quick look at a meatloaf from halfway around the world – let’s head to Macau!
Behold A Macau “Capela!”
I loved a Chicago restaurant called Fat Rice, and their cookbook taught me about the cuisine of Macau, and how to make a “Macau Meatloaf” called a “Capela”!
The word “Capela” refers to a circular shape, the shape of a loaf. So I made this using a bundt pan.
You can see the distinctive typeface of the cookbook – it’s filled with colorful animation, gorgeous photos of food, and great recipes as well – all inspired by the food of Macau, located near Hong Kong.
I decided to make a “Macau Meatloaf” so let’s get cooking!
This is a fast dish to prepare, so heat your oven to 350 degrees now!
As you would expect for a meatloaf, there are a lot of ingredients so let’s do this in stages: I cut the Fat Rice recipe in half as I didn’t want to make a “Capala” for a dozen people!
Ingredients For “Capela” – A Macanese Meatloaf:
2 slices day old bread
3/4 cup milk
1 large yellow onion
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup black olives
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup semi-firm cheese / I used White Cheddar
1 lemon
2 eggs, beaten / 1 egg for egg wash at end
1/2 cup brown mushrooms
1/4 cup almonds and same amount pine nuts
4 slices bacon
To begin, I took two pieces of bread and cut them into cubes, then added 2/3 cup of milk and let it soak – then set aside:
Next up, I chopped a half cup of black olives and brown mushrooms, then diced an entire onion, which I saute’d in olive oil over medium low heat for about ten minutes…
These are pine nuts and almond slivers, a quarter cup of each – and I had a half cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese and the same amount of white cheddar as well…
Finally, I cut 4 slices of bacon in half and it was time to make a meatloaf:
Because there were so many ingredients in there, I mixed it by hand for several minutes, and I added salt and pepper to taste as well- add lemon zest and the juice of one lemon at the end as well:
As you can see, I cut the bacon again and it fit perfectly, which led me to bake it for one hour and twenty minutes, and when I took my “Capela” out of the oven, here’s how it looked:
There was a bit of fat around the edges based on the bacon, so I sopped it up and then it was ready for its close-up:
I took the Meatloaf out of the bundt pan so I could cut it for you and show you the inside – but this is a dish that should be served directly out of the pan!
I really enjoyed this dish – BUT – because of the black olives, mushrooms and almonds, there was a “umami” feel to the dish, especially with the hamburger and pork. I added a bit of seasoning and spicy sauce to the top when eating and helped it “pop” a bit!
I’ve eaten at Chicago’s Fat Rice restaurant several times to enjoy their signature dish:
I chose not to make their famous “Fat Rice” dish, called “Arroz Gordo” – shown above when I had it there – with “Gordo” meaning a riced stuffed with “good stuff” – almost their version of a meatloaf! I made this Chorizo Paella recently:
I loved this dish – but I still had to make it twice!
Click here to find out why:
I love cooking food from around the world, exploring different cultures and flavors – and then sometimes I just need an “All American” classic – meatloaf!
I made this classic Chicken Meatloaf using the recipe from “The Joy Of Cooking” – a classic!
Click here to see how I made it from scratch!
As you can see, the Meatloaf sat atop a large dollop of mashed potato…and what about this?
This is the most decadent mashed potato dish of all time – see the legendary Chef Joel Robuchon’s “pomp puree” recipe here!
These are the ultimate comfort foods – and I told you that 2026 was the year of “Grandmacore” – food that had a rich family history and brought comfort…click here to see the dishes that do just that:
I am sharing and storing all of these recipes on my food website “Bite! Eat! Repeat!” – it’s your site for all things food – if you like what you see, please click on my link and follow this blog as well!
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