Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
Ingredients
1/2 C yellow onion, chopped
1/2 C bell pepper, any color
1/2 C mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 – 1 1/2 C seasoned breadcrumbs
1 C milk
3/4 lb sausage
1 1/4 lb ground meat, beef or beef veal and pork mixture
2 large eggs
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/2 – 1 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
10-12 slices bacon
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare veggies by chopping onion, mushrooms and bell pepper. Mince garlic. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook veggies until they are tender and the onions are translucent. Transfer to a large bowl to cool. This is the bowl you’ll be mixing the entire meatloaf in, so make sure it’s large enough.
Add in breadcrumbs and milk, mix well. If using sausage links, remove from casings. Add all meat and eggs to bowl. Gently mix without compacting. Sprinkle with cheese and seasonings including the optional red pepper flakes. Mix well with your hands.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet. Form a 10×4-inch log, roughly.
Starting at one end, begin laying bacon over the meatloaf log in a diagonal pattern. Overlap each piece slightly to allow for any shrinkage that may occur when the bacon cooks. Be sure to leave 1/2″ overhang on all sides. After covering the entire meatloaf, carefully fold bacon underneath the edges.
Bake on the middle rack for 50-60 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°F when inserted into the center of the meatloaf. Broil for an additional 3 minutes to crisp up the bacon. Do not leave it in the oven waiting for the bacon to look super crispy, it will be overdone when you pull it out as bacon continues to cook after being removed from the oven.
Cool slightly. Using two large spatulas (I used grilling spatulas because they’re so much bigger than the traditional kitchen variety), carefully transfer to a second parchment lined baking sheet or serving platter to cool for at least 10 minutes. Cut into 1/2 – 1″ pieces with a serrated knife.
