The best meatloaf I have ever had!
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
- 1 pound sweet italian sausage
- 1 green bell peper (chopped)
- 1/2 onion (large) (chopped)
- 4 stalks celery (thinnly sliced)
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon kitchen bouquet browning & seasoning sauce
- 1/3 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1/2 cup italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound bacon
- bbq sauce (top each slice) (kc masterpiece)
- Carbohydrate 14.1432044964038 g
- Cholesterol 277.400577475 mg
- Fat 51.9128164572987 g
- Fiber 1.23277502006665 g
- Protein 47.460987672875 g
- Saturated Fat 17.6423950467602 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (251g)
- Sodium 2249.44857427225 mg
- Sugar 12.9104294763372 g
- Trans Fat 4.92825776855521 g
- Calories 726 calories
Step-by-step
- Set aside 7 strips of bacon and fry the remaining bacon until crisp. Crumb the fried bacon in a food processor and set aside.
- Slice celery & chop peppers and onion.
- In a microwave dish add chopped vegetables and a little water. Steam vegetables in microwave oven for 2 minutes until softened. Drain any excess water.
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the 7 strips of bacon & BBQ sauce.
- Place the meat mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and, using your hands, form it into a loaf.
- Cover the loaf with the bacon strips. Bake the meat loaf, uncovered, until cooked through, about 1 hour. (last time I baked for about 70 minutes)
- Slice and serve with BBQ sauce.
Rendered pork fat bastes the exterior while the interior retains moisture from ground chuck and Italian sausage, creating a contrast between a crisp outer shell and a tender crumb. Combining beef and pork balances lean protein strands with high-fat sausage, preventing the dense texture common in all-beef loaves. Meatloaf evolved from European terrines and scrapple traditions into an American staple designed to stretch expensive proteins using inexpensive breadcrumbs.
- When scaling this recipe up or down, maintain a ratio of one large egg per pound of combined meat to ensure proper structural binding.
- Microwave the chopped celery, onions, and bell peppers for exactly two minutes to drive off excess water before adding them to the raw meat mixture.
- Bake the loaf uncovered in a 375°F oven, checking internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer until it reaches 160°F.
- Allow the baked loaf to rest for 15 minutes before slicing to let internal juices redistribute through the protein matrix.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Proper temperature monitoring guarantees food safety without sacrificing juiciness. Letting the cooked meat rest is chemically necessary for protein contraction to cease.
