I’ve told you before that I have a weird habit of watching shows on the Food Network while working out. The other day I was sweating my cookie-pie filled love handles off on the treadmill while watching Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. They were at some little hole-in-the-wall that was famous for their meatloaf sandwich. Not only have I never had (or had a desire to have) a meatloaf sandwich in my entire life, but I have only made meatloaf one time in the past 10 years. There’s something about the words meat and loaf that tells me they shouldn’t go together in the same sentence let alone the same dish. Strangely though, I couldn’t stop thinking about that dumb sandwich. Why did it look so good?? Why could I not stop thinking about something I was pretty sure I detested? We’ve actually had a lot of requests for meatloaf, and since I couldn’t get it out of my head, I started to poke around for a recipe. Oddly, that very same day Kate randomly texted me (not that texting on its own was random, we only text each other like 879 times a day…) and said she had made meatloaf that day and it was good. I think the universe was trying to tell us something! Maybe she’ll share her recipe too sometime.
I happened to stumble across a segment from The Early Show, where Chris Kimball of America’s Test Kitchen was making classic comfort food, featuring meatloaf. Meatloaf is a perfect example of a recipe that would benefit from endless testing of proportions, meat combinations, fillers, flavors, baking methods, etc. so I knew this would be a good one to trust (besides the fact that I trust just about everything from Chris Kimball!) You can check out this link to read all about the impacts of all of those things, it’s actually really interesting. Understanding the science and reasoning behind food and recipes will really help you become a better cook!
The result? I actually like meatloaf! Who knew? I guess I just needed a good recipe for it. This one actually has great flavor, and perhaps more importantly, a good texture. I have to say the sauce really did it for me. Okay, and maybe the fact that it’s wrapped in bacon. And you better believe I have a post about a meatloaf sandwich coming up 🙂
Let’s cook. Start by sauteing some onions and garlic and then set them aside.
Next is all of the wet ingredients, and the spices. A couple of eggs, worcestershire sauce, a little dijon mustard, a couple of douses of hot sauce, plain yogurt (adds tons of moisture), salt, pepper, and thyme.
All whisked up it looks like a yummy salad dressing and it actually smells really good too! PS, don’t put this on salad.
Into the same bowl goes the meat. They recommend 50% beef and 25% each of ground pork and veal. I used 50% beef and 50% pork because while I have no issues eating grown-up cows, pigs, and chickens, somehow I don’t want to eat baby ones. It’s just mean. Don’t judge. You’ll also add the onions and garlic you cooked up, fresh parsley and some crushed saltines. You can substitute fresh bread crumbs as well, but the saltines actually work great.
Mix ‘er all up.
And…shape it. Into a loaf. It’s meatloaf folks, don’t try to get creative. Place it on a foil-lined baking sheet, not in a loaf pan. One of the things they noted from the test kitchens was that putting it in a loaf pan caused it to just sit in it’s own juices and sort of boil instead of bake. You get a much better result when it’s baked free form.
Smear some of the sauce over it and then wrap it up in bacon. By the way, I love sentences that include the phrase “wrap it up in bacon.” There’s absolutely no way that can’t end well.
Pop that bad boy in the oven and bake for about an hour. The bacon gets crispy on top and your house smells fantastic.
Then you can take more of that glaze and brush it right on the top while it’s hot.
Slice it up and serve with extra sauce (a must!) and mashed potatoes don’t hurt either. (If you’ve got a copy of our cook book, the recipes on page 178 for Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Garlic and Parmesan ones are fantastic!)
Try it. You just might like meat loaf!
Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Meat Loaf
Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen
Glaze
1/2 cup chili sauce (or substitute ketchup, but I liked chili sauce)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar (or white vinegar in a pinch)
Meat Loaf
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , chopped medium
2 medium cloves garlic , minced
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or whole milk)
1 pound ground beef chuck
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal (I used more pork instead of veal)
2/3 cup Saltine crackers , crushed (about 18), or quick oatmeal, or 1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
6 – 8 ounces bacon , thin sliced (8 to 12 slices, depending on loaf shape)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the glaze: Mix all ingredients in small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened and set aside.
2. For the meat loaf: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and milk or yogurt. Add egg mixture to meat in large bowl along with crackers, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic; mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture sticks, add additional milk or yogurt, a couple tablespoons at a time until mix no longer sticks.)
4. Turn meat mixture onto work surface. With wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9-by-5-inch loaf shape. Place on foil-lined (for easy cleanup) shallow baking pan. Brush with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.
5. Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Cool 10-15 minutes. While meal loaf is cooling, re-heat remaining sauce and brush some over meat loaf if desired. Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze passed separately.
Questions & Reviews
I have always hated meatloaf. Growing up I didn’t usually have to finish what was on my plate to be excused from the table, just usually had to try a few bits of everything, and so long as I ate healthy food, I could go, but OCCASIONALLY, one parent or the other would get all works up and a big struggle ensued. So it w the Halloween of my 10th year.
Dad, “its ground beef, you like ground beef, how can you not like meatloaf”
Me, “I don’t like ground beef, I just tolerate when it’s smothered. In spaghetti sauce or a bun”
Dad, “well, your mother smothered this in sauce especially for you, now eat your meatloaf”‘
Me, “I hate the sauce, it’s all ketchupy”
dad, “you love ketchup”
Me, “not cooked ketchup”
Dad, (really frustrated now) no getting down from the table till you FINISH your meatloaf!”
Well, as I have mentioned, it was halloween, how long could he keep me there? Turns out he thought this was the perfect night to ‘motivate’ me, hard to go trick or treating when you can’t get down from the table. But I was pretty stubborn and I’d already eaten my green beans, ny tolerance for eating foods I didnt care for had reached it’s max, so I sat there, figuring for sure he’d cave, I was pretty adamant I was not eating that meatloaf. maybe it was all the candy i’d already eaten that day, maybe it was the only thing worse than forced meatloaf at dinner was forced cold meatloaf later on, but I wasn’t budging, and to save face, and any chance at credibility ever again, neither was Dad.
Long story short, I missed trick or treating that year, and have never felt compelled to try meatloaf ever again. … Until now,
I’ve made it before, many times in my married life actually, (well and by many I mean maybe a dozen in 25 yrs) my husband LOVES meatloaf, and to my surprise, so do our kids (traitors)
But his, this sounds like something I could get behind. (yes, you had me at bacon) and maybe if I actually bake it, not boil it in it’s own nasty juices in a loaf pan, it will be something I can eat.
(btw, I’ve never actually used a meatloaf recipe before, I just thought it was ground meat, some seasoning, an egg some crumbs, how could you go wrong)
I think I will try this this Oct 31st! I let you know if in was allowed to leave the table before bedtime!
🙂
Our family LOVES this recipe! My 8 year old son chose it for his birthday dinner and it was a hit with the entire family. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!
Made this meatloaf tonight to use up some ground beef and pork sausage that I had to use up. It was DELICIOUS!! I will definitely be making it again and again. Only thing was, I didn’t have chili sauce, so I used the asian variety. HOLY MOLY!! It was a little spicey. I’m glad I tasted it before I put it onto the meatloaf. I used it sparingly and it was still good. Next time, I’ll use the correct kind. Thanks!!
best thing ever! my sister is picky. she had 3 servings before even leaving the kitchen!!!
Oh my goodness, where have you two been been all my life! I am just facinated with your blog, I havent stopped reading it since I found it, and when I go to the states this year I am going to buy your book for sure! This recipe is perfect for Father’s Day and I think my husband will just flip when he tries it! I love how all your recipes have a unique twist! Question though about the meatloaf, what happens if you just use all beef and no pork?
So glad you found us Crystal!
The pork adds a soft texture to the overall mix, but you could definitely use all beef. Check out the note in the post, the test kitchens suggested adding a bit of gelatin to the mix if you’re using all beef. Interesting, but it totally works!
Made this for the second time tonight! My husband can’t wait to get home, says he’s been thinking about this meatloaf all day. I made twice the meat mixture and froze half so all I have to do the next time is thaw, make the glaze and freeze it. Can’t wait for dinner. I am now a meatloaf convert!
I found your book at Costco and it looked amazing, so I thought I’d come and check the website out, too. And I have to tell you that everything on your site I’ve seen so far looks awesome. Especially this meatloaf! I have always liked meatloaf, but I got bored of it and quit making it. I totally agree about the boiling in the loaf pan thing. I always pull the pan out and drain it a couple times throughout the cooking process. This looks so much better, though! I think I’ll make it for Sunday dinner tomorrow! Sorry, I have to go! I need to get to the store!!!
Thanks for the great recipe! My hubby always loves meatloaf, since he was away this week I thought I would try this one out as his “welcome home” dinner. He thought it/I was awesome! Thanks SO much! (I also whipped up some of your no-bake Reese’s bars b/c he had to take treats to a meeting tonight, thanks again!) You guys are awesome!
my meatloaf is in the oven…can’t wait to try it. We like meatloaf at our house as long as there is NO ketchup! I generally cook it with cream of mushroom soup that has some worcestershire and teriyaki sauce in it. My family loves bacon so we decided this had to be tried!
I made this last night and it was a hit!! I have four kids (ages 8 to 3) and they all loved it. I was a little dubious of the thyme but it was great and the sweet glaze really went well with the earthiness of the thyme. I used pork instead of veal, center cut bacon instead of regular. There were several options for binder. I used oats that I ran through my chopper. I have another recipe that used oatmeal for its binder and really like it plus whole grains – woo hoo! WW ladies – I put this through the WW Recipe Builder and came up with 9 Points Plus per serving (I figured 8 servings) – may even be lower b/c I found lower fat ground pork at my grocery and WW database just had regular ground pork. The only change I would make to this recipe is a little more glaze. I didn’t have any leftover to pass with the meatloaf. This recipe is going into regular rotation in our house. Thanks so much OBB!!!
I live in ABQ, NM and The Standard Diner is here in Albuquerque that serves the Meatloaf you are talking about. Its such a great restaurant, not really that “Standard” of a diner, but AWESOME food. I’ve never actually tried the meatloaf but i know they put raisins in too. People rave about it. I am going to try your version now! Thanks.
Been using that meatloaf recipe for years and I love it. The meatloaf sandwiches are a reward the next day. I found the recipe in “Cook’s Illustrated” American Classics cook book published in 2002. For the non red meat eaters in our family I have used ground turkey wrapped in turkey bacon.
Meatloaf is one of our family favs, and meatloaf sandwiches are the bomb! A few tips: USE SALTINES, because with oatmeal or bread crumbs you’ll get a denser loaf. For meat loaf sandwiches: REHEAT the loaf to room-temp before using..cold hamburger is icky! I usually slice it cold, lay the slices on a plate and microwave about 20 seconds, MMMMM….meatloaf sandwiches…..YUMMY! Love the bacon idea!
I made this for supper tonight! I am not a fan of meatloaf but this one sold me. My husband hates to taste anything herby in his food so I left out the thyme and parsley but did everything else as written. WOW! What a great combination of flavors. I did use ground pork, veal and beef as called for in the original recipe and bread crumbs instead of saltines. My husband is a huge fan as am I. I divided the meat mixture into two meatloaves and froze one (without the sauce or bacon), giving us 2 meals from the one recipe. All I’ll have to do is make the glaze and add the bacon. I would serve this to company…it’s that good!
i share your sentiments exactly on meat + loaf. i have never even eaten it, let alone cooked it. based solely on this post, though, i now feel compelled to try both making and eating it for the first time. smart move putting the words “glazed” and “bacon-wrapped” first in the title. 🙂
I’ve always been a lover of meatloaf…but a PICKY lover! There are soooo many horrible recipes out there for it that I can totally understand why some people hate it! It really wasn’t until I found Martha Stewart’s recipe years ago that I loved it. The only problem with hers is that it calls for lots of chopped up veggies which is a real prep-pain-in-the-neck. I also did not like the sweet glaze on the top of hers…way too sweet, imho. Here’s the link, if you’re interested: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/classic-meat-loaf
Still, I LOVE Chris Kimball/America’s Test Kitchens. And I agree…this is a recipe that needs to be tested and tried! I would have NEVER guessed yogurt in it. But it looks SO WONDERFUL (Umm…wrapped in bacon? YES, PLEASE!) I’m trying it asap!! Also, I noticed a reader said she splits her loaves in half and freezes one loaf. I’ve always done that and it’s SO NICE to have on hand! In fact, I often double the recipe and make four loaves, giving two for my parents to have in their freezer. I like the smaller loaves b/c I like my meatloaf to have lots of crunchy end pieces 🙂 And I agree that baking on a rimmed, flat, or cookie sheet is really important! That’s how you get all the yummy, browned goodness from the meatloaf. In fact, my mom uses the pan drippings to make a yummy brown gravy from it. I don’t do that anymore, but with bacon?? Might be worthwhile!
Thanks for the awesome recipe!!!
P.S. This was the only the second time to your blog and I LOVE IT! And today when I read, “I don’t eat babies,” I KNEW we were soul sisters!! I’ve always said that and people think I’m nuts!! But I just cannot eat veal, lamb, or the like for that reason. Thanks for proving I’m not the only “wierdly kind” one! And..sorry for the ridic. long post!!! Ugh.
I am soooooo making this tonight!! I think I have made meatloaf 5 times in the 20+ years of our marriage… I always hate how it sits there and boils! -Also, the first time I made it right after we were married, I misread the recipe and put in tons of salt… my sweet new husband ate it anyway; it made me gag!! I have been leary ever since! Can’t wait to try this! Bacon makes everything heavenly!
Can’t wait to try the recipe! What brand of chili sauce do you use? I’ve never used it before. An earlier comment said that is is by the ketchup. So it is not by the Mexican food and it is not the same thing as hot sauce? Thanks–can use help with any clarifications!
Lynne- it’s not spicy, it really tastes similar to ketchup, just with a little more flavor. You should be able to find Heinz brand at most grocery stores. The bottle label looks a lot like the heinz ketchup label, the bottle is just smaller and it’s usually a shelf or two down from the ketchup. I’ll snap a picture of mine and add it to this post! I’ve used generic store brands as well and they’re just fine too.
sara, I also have NEVER desired to combine MEat and Loaf.. but I thought it was funny that the ONE time I did – I made one from America’s Test Kitchen! So- Seeing that this is also from America’s Test Kithcen gave it the second stamp of approval (being an OBB recipe is the obvious first) So I guess I will be making my Second Meat Loaf EVER. 🙂
You can’t turn down anything wrapped in bacon!
I Love Meatloaf. My mom has the most simple recipe, that uses the Saltines you were talking about. They really are great in Meatloaf! I am going to have to try this recipe too!
I made this tonight and it was great! My husband liked it and my 3 year old ate it! That’s a minor miracle. My variations: vanilla yogurt because that’s all I had, ketchup, all beef, and I had to add 10 minutes to the cook time because it was still raw in the center after an hour. I also used a whole pound of bacon, because more is more, right? It tasted really good and wasn’t anything like my regular meatloaf.
Have you done a post on tearless onion cutting? I read once to use lemon juice, but that didn’t work for me.
Hey, just saw your comment about tearless onion cutting. Try keeping your onions in the fridge. They have to be in there at least overnight for the best results, but if you do they shouldn’t make you cry. Works great for me!
Now that I think of it, that does make it better! I was wondering why the fresh-from-the-store-onion affected me so much more. Thanks. 🙂
This is a little weird, but if you stick a peice of bread in your mouth you won’t tear up. Just maybe don’t use this trick if you have guests watching you cook, or if you’re prone to drooling. 😉
Lisa- check out comment #28 for tips on freezing, it should work great!
I have a friend who’s about to deliver her third baby boy, and I’m trying to deliver a bunch of meals into her freezer before she does. I think their family would like this, but I’m wondering about its freezability. Any thoughts on whether or not it would work, and cooking times? Thanks!
lol…I totally watch food network while working out too! This looks amazing, can’t wait to try. Love the new look of the blog! Keep the good stuff coming!
Okay meat loaf sandwhiches are my favorite! So good. My recipe calls for oatmeal as the filler and plain old ketchup baked on top. Yum!!!!!!!
This was a perfect 10– i used 50/50 mix of sausage and ground beef. The yogurt adds a great texture and makes it not too dense..
Totally off subject but I’m trying to find the honey-citrus vinagrette. I follow the links but the page is unable to come up. Can you help me?!
This made me laugh. I love meatloaf but only my mom’s. I think mainly, after reading this, because she never cooked it in a loaf pan and put a glaze over the top. She also uses wheat germ in the meat mixture. I have no idea why but it is better with than without. Strange huh?? =o)
This looks so yummy. I happen to LOVE meat loaf. And this may sound crazy, but I love it made outa ground turkey. The 93/7 ratio one. It really is good. Oh, and I always mix it in my Bosch with the dough hooks. Mixes it so good and my hands don’t hafta get squishied. Gonna try this recipe with the ground turkey ASAP. Thanx for sharing your yummy recipes!!