Ma!!! The Meatloaf!!!

Once again, it's been quite a while since I've posted. That's not to say that I haven't cooked anything of interest, just that I haven't had time to blog about it! I also have this problem of remembering to photograph the food before we eat it. I tend to only remember once we have eaten half the meal and it is demolished.

With so many things going on, I am lucky I can remember what my name is. The past month or so, my husband and I have been working to get our house ready so we can put it on the market. It is a good thing we weren't planning to move very quickly. There was a very long list of items to do before we could even think about listing it. We've cleaned every room top to bottom, including the basement, purged an unimaginable amount of 'stuff' and painted (even in the basement!). We've taken pictures of our house and are finally ready to put it on the market.

I worked from home today because we had someone sweep our chimney (another house selling preparation!) and it gave me some extra time to plan dinner. Hence, the meatloaf.

This is a recipe that I found in Real Simple several months ago (their April 2011 issue, I believe). I thought it sounded worthwhile, but with one modification. I would take my husband's grandmother's method of making meatloaf and apply it to this recipe. Nana Terri is the world's best meatloaf maker - hands down. I figured it had to work.

This is one of my husband's favorite meals, and we weren't a meatloaf loving couple, except for Nana Terri's. Since nothing anyone had attempted came close to her recipe, we never bothered or kidded ourselves that anything would come close. Until I found this recipe.

This meatloaf comes out so tender, moist and flavorful, it is what Guy Fieri would call 'out of bounds' (for those of you that watch his show!). One of the best meatloafs I've ever had. It has so much unexpected flavor for a meatloaf. I guarantee, if you try it, you won't want to go back to making your old meatloaf again! 

Check out my variation of the recipe below. If you want to go for the straight from the magazine version, and do it by the book, it's up to you!

Here's a tip: I line my loaf pan with alumnium foil before filling with the meat mixture. The pieces come out easier and clean up is a breeze!!

Bacon-Gruyere Meatloaf (Nana Terri-style)
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
2 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large egg
3/4 cup grated Gruyère
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 large white onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1. Heat oil in medium sized skillet. Add chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Sautee until tender. Once tender, use food process or blender to puree mixture. Set aside.
2. Heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, bread crumbs, ketchup, grated onion, bacon, garlic, egg, ½ cup of the Gruyère, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and pureed vegetables. Transfer the mixture to an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of Gruyère.
3. Roast the meat loaf until cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Pour off any accumulated fat and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with your favorite sides!


Bacon-Gruyere Meatloaf (Real Simple-Style), click here.