This ain’t my mother’s meatloaf! My mother was not a great cook, as I’ve mentioned before, and meatloaf in my childhood was dry, bland and smothered in ketchup. Not this one. My husband and father-in-law are major meatloaf connoisseurs and I’ve made many versions over the years. One of my fav’s was a recipe from my ex, who wrapped the ground meat around a sausage before baking. It was always moist and delish! But this meatloaf was absolutely the best ever, according to the men who know and love their meatloaf. I served thick slices with fresh green beans sauteed in lemon infused olive oil and sea salt and Yukon gold potatoes boiled and rustic mashed with skins on and lots of butter. Comfort food at it’s finest!
Our local Grocery Outlet keeps all of these ingredients in stock, with a nice variety of the ground meat to choose from. Man Cave and New York Style Sausage Company both other 1 pound “tubes” of seasoned ground meat: beef, pork and a combination, with spices already mixed in. This cuts out tons of prep time. If using unseasoned ground meat, I’d add chopped onions, garlic and bell peppers. Not for this easy recipe.
Wrapping the loaf in bacon seals in the juices and adds a smokey flavor and also holds it together nicely for clean slicing. Don’t use thick slices as the bacon won’t cook as well.
Variations: You can add different spices but I found that the seasoned ground meat was perfect as is. Different pasta sauces can be used; I am fond of anything by Paul Newman’s company but really whatever is in stock or on sale works. Allow the ground meat to come to room temperature. This will help it to cook evenly and quicker.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground, seasoned meat (I used New York Style Sausage Company’s Roasted Bell Pepper & Carmelized Onion Sausage Rolls)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup Panko (or bread crumbs)
- 1.5 cups tomato pasta sauce
- 1 lb bacon (regular, not thick, sliced)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix together the meat, eggs, Worcestershire sauce and Panko until well combined.
- On a tinfoil-lined loaf pan, slightly overlap slices of bacon with the ends draping over the sides.
- Brush 1/4 cup of pasta sauce over the bottom of the bacon lined pan.
- Form meat mixture into a loaf and place on top of the bacon and brush 1/4 cup more of pasta sauce on top of loaf.
- Drape a few half slices of bacon over the ends of the loaf, then fold the ends of the bacon hanging over the sides over the loaf top. Place one or two more pieces of bacon over the top to cover any loaf not covered by bacon.
- Flip loaf upside down onto a foil-lined baking sheet and tuck in any loose bacon; it should be fairly tight around the loaf.
- Bake in oven for 45 minutes.
- Brush loaf with 1/2 cup of pasta sauce.
- Cook for 15 more minutes, then brush with remaining 1/2 cup of pasta sauce and cook until internal temperature of a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the loaf reaches 165 degrees.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit, loosely tented with foil, for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serves 4 as a main dish.
Go To Tuesdays are weekly recipes from products purchased at the Alameda Grocery Outlet, 730 Buena Vista Ave.
Please let me know if you made the recipe and liked it or would suggest changes. And also feel free to suggest future recipes.
Vivo O Sonho 