Saturday Night Cooking...

Bacon Mac n' Cheese Meatloaf.


Preheat oven to 375.

2 lbs ground meat (I use 1 lb of ground chuck, 80/15, and 1 lb of spicy pork sausage).
2 slices of wheat bread, crumbled.
2 eggs.
2 tbsp ketchup or to taste.
1 large clove minced garlic.
1 1/4 cup finely diced onion*.
2 tbsp minced parsley (can use dry).
Worcestershire sauce to taste.
Cayenne pepper to taste.
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

* I use frozen diced onions. Let them thaw, and sweat out in a frying pan. (less tears, less mess).

In a large mixing bowl, (using your hands) mix meat, eggs, bread, ketchup, garlic, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Do not over mix, as meatloaf will become tough or mealy.

After mixing the meat, sweat out the onions until clear but not brown. Allow onions to cool, add to meat-mixture, and cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Make the Macaroni and Cheese according to the package directions (I use the Deluxe Kraft Sharp Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese, not the cheaper one), set aside.

In a standard loaf pan, place smoked bacon strips*:

(Try and find the longest bacon strips you can)
Lightly press a layer of the meat into the bottom of the pan, on top of the bacon. This layer should fill 1/3 of the loaf pan.

Spread some of the Mac' 'n Cheese on top:



Lightly press the rest of the meat mixture on top of the Mac' n' Cheese, fold the bacon over the sides, and place additional strips on top, and sprinkle with cayenne pepper or paprika:



Using a meat thermometer, Bake until the temp inside reaches 160, checking the meat loaf about every 25-30 minutes to drain off excess grease. When done, let it rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing:



Serve with a healthy side of veggies and a cold beer.

Then, call your Cardiologist.