Not Your Mothers Meatloaf

Cheese Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf. No, this is not your mothers meatloaf.  This is rich, deliciously sinful meatloaf.  I have nothing against standard meatloaf. However sometimes you just need to kick it up a little. I have wanted to try this for a while, finally did. I added another twist and stuffed it with cheddar. Oh. My. God. There was some serious flavor bursts going on here.  I will admit I used bread crumbs instead of the rolled oats. Rolled oats and meatloaf…no. Just no.  I also may or may not have actually measured the Worcestershire and salt and pepper. Who ever does that anyway?? Oh, and I may have used one or two cloves of elephant garlic. Katie’s influence-there is no such thing as too much garlic. Perhaps some Herbs de Provence also. Oh, and the brown sugar, I used Splenda brown sugar because, you know, low carb. And, um, there may have been a full pound of apple smoked bacon involved. Apparently Katie’s influence carries over….she never, NEVER follows a recipe to the letter. She makes it her own. Not a bad thing.

SO. Once you get this thing wrapped and stuffed and baked, be sure to let it sit for AT LEAST 10 minutes, unless you want to lose all that melted cheese it’s stuffed with.  That is, if you went with the cheese stuffed alterative. To do that,  cram about two thirds of the meat mix into the loaf pan, mash down a trench right down the middle of it, to within about a half inch from the ends (I really wish I’d taken photos in process!) and fill it with slices of cheddar. Or American. Or whatever kind you prefer. I went with cheddar with the thought of the bacon in mind. It sort of complimented it, I think.   I would not use shredded, once it melts it may leave a space and then you would have a caved in mess, I think. I packed the cheese in there pretty good.  Once that’s done, take that other third or so of meatloaf mix and cover it up, mashing the edges so the cheese doesn’t leak out.
I cannot stress enough, LET IT STAND FOR AT LEAST 10-15 MINUTES BEFORE CUTTING.  I actually ended up wedging a towel under the pan at the cut end so the cheese wouldn’t ooze out.
The end result was amazing. The glaze was a tease of sweet against the savory of the cheese and and bacon, and the meatloaf itself. This one is another keeper, I believe I’ll be making it over and over again.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf*
Ingredients
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup onion, diced
½ cup green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 large eggs
½ Cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
10-12 strips bacon

Ketchup glaze:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with slightly overlapping pieces of bacon.
In a medium-sized bowl, mash together beef, onions, bell pepper, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, eggs, oats, salt and pepper.
Spread 2 tablespoons of glaze over the bacon in the loaf pan.
Then press the meatloaf mixture into the pan.
Fold any overhanging bacon over the top of the loaf pan. Flip the loaf pan onto a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Carefully wrap the ends of the meatloaf with bacon as well, tucking the strips into the other pieces of bacon so it’s tight.
Bake meatloaf at 350º F for 50 minutes. Remove meatloaf, brush with ketchup glaze and return to oven for another 15-20 minutes. Finished meatloaf should have crispy bacon edges and reach an internal temperature of 165º F in the center of the meatloaf.
Let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories – 320Calories from fat – 160
Total Fat – 18g
Saturated Fat – 7g
Trans Fat –1/2 g
Cholesterol – 125g
Sodium – 420g
Potassium – 400g
Total Carbohydrate – 13g
Dietary Fiber – 1g
Sugars – 7g
Protein – 26g

*Credit where credit is due: recipe from tablespoon.com
**Please note this is only if the recipe is followed exactly. That is, not counting the bread crumb/rolled oats exchange, the cheese, and the Splenda brown sugar sub.