Sweet Ketchup and Bacon Topped Meat Loaf
You will be left with a wonderful gravy that I always put over mashed potatoes.
You will be left with a wonderful gravy that I always put over mashed potatoes.
- Carbohydrate 70.2098818864938 g
- Cholesterol 140.476973116124 mg
- Fat 38.3672568606123 g
- Fiber 0.769374127983373 g
- Protein 39.9663313676074 g
- Saturated Fat 14.4009380555528 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (360g)
- Sodium 724.390534930744 mg
- Sugar 69.4405077585104 g
- Trans Fat 5.15915651362241 g
- Calories 787 calories
Step-by-step
- Stir together ground beef, breadcrumbs, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
- Shape into a 10 X 4 inch loaf; place in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined 15 X 10 inch jelly-roll pan.
- Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
- Arrange bacon slices over top of loaf.
- Stir together brown sugar, ketchup, and molasses; spread mixture evenly over meat loaf.
- Bake at 375 for 50 minutes or until meat is no longer pink in center.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Ground beef carries the structural weight of this dish, requiring a gentle hand during mixing to prevent the proteins from compacting into a dense, sausage-like texture. Overworking the meat by squeezing it through your fingers or kneading it aggressively develops excess myosin, yielding a rubbery slice instead of a tender crumb. Combine the breadcrumbs, onion, seasonings, and liquids just until incorporated, distributing the binder evenly without compressing the mass. Forming the mixture loosely into a rectangular shape on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan allows heat to circulate freely around all sides, promoting an even bake.
Glazes high in sugar, such as the combination of brown sugar, ketchup, and molasses used here, burn easily if exposed to high heat for too long. Applying the sugary topping during the final fifty minutes rather than at the very beginning protects the exterior from turning bitter before the interior cooks through. Laying bacon slices across the surface underneath the glaze creates a barrier that renders fat directly into the beef, keeping the top third of the loaf moist as it roasts in a 375-degree oven.
Allowing the baked loaf to rest undisturbed for ten minutes on the counter redistributes internal juices that would otherwise pool on the cutting board the moment the knife makes contact. Slicing too early causes the protein fibers, which contract under heat, to expel their moisture entirely. Letting the temperature drop slightly firms the slice, ensuring clean cuts that hold their shape.
Adjusting quantities for different yields requires careful attention to pan dimensions and baking times rather than a simple linear multiplier. Halving the meat quantity reduces the required oven time significantly, while doubling the batch necessitates dividing the mixture into two separate loaves to maintain proper heat penetration and surface-to-mass ratios.
