Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a traditional all American meal that has been around for ages. Or is it? It’s roots really hail from Germany, Belgium and Scandinavia and is a cousin of the Dutch meatball. It became a popular American dish from the immigrants of these countries back in the 1800’s, though it is also believed to have been around In Medieval Europe since around the 5th century, or even longer, perhaps dating back to the Ancient Romans.

Meatloaf was originally a hodge podge of different meat scraps cooked together, like many other casseroles and shepherd’s pie. It was a way to stretch protein. It was a way to use up excess vegetables. It was a ragtag orchestra of ingredients on the verge of expiration. And it made music more uplifting than anyone could have anticipated.

Americans embraced meatloaf with more fondness and fervor than perhaps anyone else, to a point where it’s often mentioned alongside hot dogs and hamburgers as one of the country’s iconic dishes and essential comfort foods. Its narrative in this country includes an early chapter set in colonial times, when German immigrants made scrapple, an amalgam of ground pork and cornmeal that established the meat-starch union at the core of most meatloaves. The first recorded recipe for the modern American meatloaf is from the late 1870s, according to the food historian Andrew Smith, who told us that it instructed the cook to finely chop “whatever cold meat you have.” That meat, he said, would likely be beef, because New Englanders killed their cows before winter, when feeding them would prove more difficult, and tried to take full advantage of every last bit of the meat, looking for uses for the cheap cuts. Meatloaf was such a use. To the chopped beef they added pepper, salt, onion, slices of milk-soaked bread and egg. You’ll find these very ingredients and steps in many a meatloaf recipe today. But back then, Smith said, meatloaf wasn’t for dinner. It was for breakfast.

Meatloaf became a staple of many Americans’ diets during the Depression, because it helped home cooks extend precious protein farther than it might otherwise go, so that more people could be fed with less meat. By then meat grinders were common and meat grinding less difficult, two developments that helped to popularize meatloaf. In the 1940s meatloaf was an emblem of wartime ingenuity; this was the era of Penny Prudence’s “Vitality Loaf,” made with beef, pork and liver. The Culinary Arts Institute published a recipe for Savory Meat Loaf that called for beef, vegetable soup and cereal. And it has been a staple to the American diet ever since.

Traditionally Americans serve meatloaf topped with some kind of a tomato sauce, like ketch-up, though many different kinds of sauces are used to top it. I like all kinds of sauces on mine, at different times if course. These tomato based sauces are used to caramelize the mixture when it bakes and takes on a smooth texture. As with anything that has been around for a long period of time, there is always more than one way to make a meatloaf, and everyone thinks their own particular way is best.

Larry was hungry for meatloaf the other day, and I hadn’t made it in a while, so it was long over due. But again, I am always looking for more fun and adventurous ways of cooking things, especially when it comes to tweaking the classics. 🙂 I used to get in trouble for this all the time while in culinary school, but my favorite Chef Instructor, Chef Andre Aversein, would usually support me in the end with his comments of “Jeanne,(pronunced jan, the French way) dis is good”, in his very heavily French accent. I made the meatloaf bacon wrapped this time, with a brown sugar-Heinz 57 glaze. And as Chef Andre would say, “dis is good”.

Wrapping the meatloaf in bacon was about the only real difference to how I normally make my meatloaf. It is an addition I like, and I will continue to make, that is until I find something I like better. 🙂

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with A Brown Sugar Heinz 57 Sauce Glaze

Make the glaze first then set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C.

Spray a 9×5 loaf pan well with cooking spray, then line it with aluminum foil.

The Glaze

You can use either ketchup or Heinz 57 sauce. I didn’t have enough ketchup opened, and I was too lazy to go downstairs and pick up another bottle, so I used Heinze 57 sauce, which I actually prefer over ketchup anyway.

1/2 cup Heinz 57 sauce

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 TBSP white balsamic or white vinegar

Mix together thoroughly and set aside.

The Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground chorizo

1 onion, diced

1 TBSP garlic

2 large eggs

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 cup milk or yogurt

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp Tabasco sauce or hot sauce, or to taste

1 cup either crushed saltines, breadcrumbs or uncooked oats

8-12 slices bacon

Cook the onions in butter and olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the cooked onions to the meat mixture. I have used both breadcrumbs and oats, and I like them both equally, so it comes down to your own preference.

Combine all the ingredients together and mix well with your hands.

Add it all to the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly. Add about 1/2 the sauce to the top of the meat loaf.

Layer the bacon on top of the meatloaf.

Place in the oven to bake for about 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 160*F or 71*C. Then let it cool for about 20 minutes to set before slicing it. Top with more of the sauce before serving. Then serve with your favorite side dishes. I served it with traditional American side dishes, mashed potatoes and green beans warmed bread and with a red blend on the side.

Meatloaf is good comfort food that is good at all times. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.