Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Meatloaf - pioneer style!

I'm officially obsessed with the Pioneer Woman. You can read more about her on the blog, but I have come to love her recipes. They're simple, back-to-basics and sooooo yummy. The recipes are large, so we always have leftovers for lunch the next day. The best part is all the pictures! I just bought her cookbook and whipped up the first of many hits.

This meatloaf is slightly different from other meatloaf - because it's wrapped in bacon (to seal in moisture!) It does lend a slightly bacon-y flavor to the meatloaf so you could easily leave it off for a traditional meatloaf flavor. The BEST part is the sauce. There's lots of it and it's sweet and baked in. It's a big recipe (don't forget - she's feeding 4 kids...that she homeschools....and still has time for photography AND a blog!) so you could easily halve it. I baked the whole thing and saved some for leftovers.

Here's the list:

1 cup milk
6 bread slices (we used potato bread - is there anything yummier?)
2 lbs of ground beed (you could easily use turkey)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1//4 tsp Lowry's seasoned salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
4 eggs, beaten
8 to 12 thin bacon slices


Tomato gravy:
1 1/2 cups ketchup
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
dash or two of hot sauce - more if you like heat

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Pour the milk over the bread and allow it to soak in for a few minutes.
3. Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parm cheese, salt, seasoned salt, pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the beaten eggs.
4. With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined.
5. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat from the meat to drain. I line the pan with aluminum foil to avoid scrubbing later.
6. Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.
7. Next, make the tomato gravy: Pour the ketchup into a small mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and dry mustard, and splash in the hot sauce. I'm generous with it because I like spice.
8. Stir the mixture until well combined.
9. Pour one-third of the tomato gravy over the top of the meatloaf.
10. Bake for another 45 minutes then pour another one-third of the remaining tomato gravy over the meatloaf. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
11. Serve with the remaining tomato gravy on the side as a dipping sauce. Serve with PW's Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Olive Cheese Bread. Delicious!