Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

My schedule has finally slowed down a bit, so I have had a little more time to be more resourceful with my leftovers.  Meatloaf was on my dinner schedule and I had some bacon in my refrigerator that needed to be used, so I decided to dress my meatloaf up in the bacon.  It was delicious!  Bacon makes everything better, so it really is no surprise.  I served it with mashed potatoes and corn and my family loved it.  It would go perfectly with a ketchup or BBQ glaze, too!



Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 6 bacon strips
• 1/3 c onion, diced 
• 1/3 c carrot, diced 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/4 c breadcrumbs 
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Fry the bacon medium heat in a large skillet for 2 minutes per side, or until the bacon is partially cooked but not crisp.  Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.  Add the onion and carrot to the skillet and cook in the bacon drippings until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.  Remove the onion and carrots from the skillet using a slotted spoon and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion/carrot mixture, egg, Worcestershire, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.  

Form the beef mixture and place it inside a foil-lined loaf pan.  Place the partially cooked bacon strips on top of the meatloaf.  

Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bacon is to your desired crispiness and the meatloaf is cooked through.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.  Drain on paper towels.  If you want the bacon extra-crispy, throw the broiler on for a few minutes.  

Enjoy!