Fit For a King!

After laying on the couch for most of the day (I was sick...sniff, sniff), I started craving some of the most bizarre things. The thought of my mom's creamed tuna, coconut cake, and scallops crossed my mind.  As mentioned, I was feeling a little under the weather...so these items didn't seem like a feasible meal. After skimming various recipes on Pinterest, I stumbled upon a meatloaf recipe by Ree at The Pioneer Woman.  For maybe the 3rd time in my entire life, I developed a craving for meatloaf.  Meatloaf has never been my favorite. I remember as a child being forced to eat meatloaf.  Luckily, I grew up on a farm where we slaughtered our own meat.  It was fresh and delicious, but meatloaf always seemed like a waste of good quality meat.  That was until I came across Ree's recipe.

Her recipe was flavorful, delicious, and easy to make with my Kitchenaid Mixer.  Paired with Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower from EatingWell and broiled asparagus with olive oil, sea salt, and butter - this meal was to dye for!  Here is Ree's recipe for meatloaf:

Remember: original author's recipes are in black and my additions are in blue.

My Favorite Meatloaf

Ingredients

• Meatloaf:
• 1 cup Whole Milk (I used 2% milk)
• 6 slices White Bread (I used potato rolls because they are delicious)
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 3/4 teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/3 cup Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
• 4 whole Eggs Beaten
• 10 slices Thin/regular Bacon
• Sauce:
• 1-1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• Tabasco To Taste (I eliminated this ingredient so there wasn't any spice)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.

Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.

With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)

Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.

Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.  I had to bake an extra 30-40 minutes because my loaf was too thick.