Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf (Beef, Pork with Ketchup and Brown Sugar Glaze)

baconwrappedmeatloafketchupbrownsugarglaze This is a simple meatloaf recipe with ingredients that you likely already have on-hand. The bacon on top was awesome of course but the real star was the Parmesan cheese. Do not buy the already shredded stuff for this recipe. Grate your own into big chunks so that you get big bites of it every once in awhile. I'm a garlic fiend so I put an unusually large amount, feel free to tone it down. But it is pretty spectacular and not at all biting.

10-12 slices bacon, cut in half

Meatloaf:
4 slices bread, ripped up into 2" pieces
½ cup milk
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs ground beef and pork mix (1 kg)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
2 large eggs
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked

Glaze:
¾ cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
¼-½ cup light brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika

Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Make the Meatloaf:
In a large bowl, soak bread slices in the milk, pressing them down with your fingers. Allow to soak while sautéing the onion.

Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté for a further 30 seconds until fragrant. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.

Mash the soaked bread with a fork to break up large pieces. Add in the onion/garlic, beef, Parmesan, eggs, parsley, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until everything is just combined (try not to over-mix).

Scoop mixture into a bundt pan and press down, against the sides making sure that there are no gaps. Place bacon over top, overlapping as you lay them. Tuck the ends into the sides.

Make the Glaze:
In a smaller bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the glaze.

Assemble and Bake:
Spread half of the sauce evenly over the top; reserve the remaining sauce for later.

Bake the meatloaf for 50 minutes, then spread half of the remaining sauce over the top. Return to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Mix any pan juices with the remaining sauce to serve.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes/cauliflower and/or steamed vegetables.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes: Adjust the sugar depending on the type of the ketchup used, or to taste.