Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

I set an oven mitt alight, dropped an egg on the floor and chose the wrong grill pan to cook the meatloaf on, all in a matter of minutes. I accidentally thawed out several previously frozen food items when I left them on the kitchen counter while searching for things in my freezer. I put brown sauce in the Sauce Mixture instead of brown sugar and had to throw it out and start again. I splashed water all over the kitchen floor and then got distracted and forgot I'd splashed water all over the kitchen floor and proceeded to skid, cartoon-like, through it. Since everything is ten thousand times better when it's wrapped in bacon, may be I should have just wrap myself in bacon today.



Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Serves 8

For the Meatloaf:
1 cup full-cream milk
6 slices white bread
500g ground beef

500g ground pork
1 generous cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon steak seasoning
3/4 teaspoons salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
4 eggs, beaten
10 slices bacon

For the Sauce:
1-1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
Tabasco to taste

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. 

Make the Meatloaf:

Put the bread into a food processor and blitz until you have fine bread crumbs. Pour milk over the bread crumbs. Allow it to soak for several minutes.

Place the ground beef and pork, milk-soaked bread crumbs, parmesan, steak seasoning, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.

With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a grill pan (choose a grill pan that fits in your oven... silly me), which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)

Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.

Make the Sauce: 

Put the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

I served mine with mashed potatoes and pan fried zucchini and carrots.