Pioneer Woman Meatloaf

I know this is a really weird photo, but I’m a really weird person so it fits. Begin by throwing six slices of regular white bread (I’m talking sandwich bread, folks) into a bowl. Pour the milk over the bread and let it soak in.

Grody, I realize, but bear with me.

And you can use crusty artisan bread if you want to. But I honestly love the comfort food nature of the soft, white stuff.

Into a large bowl, throw the ground beef, Parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley.

I used Parmigiano Reggianno.

But you don’t have to.

Throw the soaked bread into the bowl, along with some eggs. Add salt, and lots and lots of freshly ground black pepper. And you can add some finely minced garlic if you’d like!

But you don’t have to.

Scrub your hands with soap and water, scour them with an SOS pad, hold them under a bacteria-destroying UV light, and dip them in antiseptic solution (okay, just soap and water will do) and knead the mixture together.

When it’s all mixed together, form the mixture into a (I’m going to say it) loaf shape on top of a broiler/drip pan.

Next, drape slices of bacon over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf and overlapping pieces as you go along.

Note: It’s important to use thin bacon here! The thinner the better.

Keep going until the meatloaf is totally covered.

And now comes my favorite part. Throw some ketchup into a bowl.

Add brown sugar and dry mustard.

Then add as much Tabasco as you’d like.

Pour a third of the sauce over the top and spread it to cover the bacon, then bake the meatloaf for 45 minutes. After that time, pull the pan out of the oven and spread another third of the sauce over the top. Return it to the oven for fifteen minutes or so.

These photos don’t show it because I took them back when I was even more of an amateur photographer than I am now, but the sauce is truly bright red. There are some meatloaf recipes that have more of a canned tomato-based sauce, and those can be delicious, too. But to me, a ketchup-based sauce is what makes meatloaf truly…meatloaf.

And that’s it! I know it doesn’t look it, but what you have here is a comfort food like no other—a scrumptious delight through and through. And you’ll notice the edges are nice and brown; that’s the way I like it, baby. It increases the flavor of things, and also indicates that the inside of the meatloaf has been adequately cooked.

Pink meatloaf = No, no, no, no, no, no, no

So here’s what you do: Slice it up and serve it with the remaining third of the sauce, which can be used for dipping.

Serve the meatloaf next to mashed potatoes. Buttered egg noodles. Or better yet—gulp—cheese grits! There’s nothing better on earth.

And the next day, make meatloaf sandwiches with the leftovers.

You’ll wonder where leftover meatloaf has been all your life.

(Food affects me very deeply. Can you tell?)

Enjoy this, my friends! If you’re on the fence about meatloaf, or even if you’ve written it off entirely as something you’d never, ever try, give this a shot. Consider it adventure eating, likehuitlacoche. Or calf nuts.

Enjoy!

Here’s the handy dandy printable.

Recipe

My Favorite Meatloaf

Prep Time:

 15 Minutes

 

Cook Time:

 45 Minutes

 

Difficulty:

 Easy

 

Servings:

 8

Print Recipe

Ingredients

•  Meatloaf:
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 6 slices White Bread
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 3/4 teaspoons Salt
•  Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/3 cup Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
• 4 whole Eggs, Beaten
• 10 slices Thin/regular Bacon
•  Sauce:
• 1-1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
•  Tabasco To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.

Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, 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 broiler pan, 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: add 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.

Serve with mashed potatoes. Yummy!