Meat Lover’s Meatloaf

Even the kids will love this meatloaf!  Filled with tasty ingredients then topped with sauce and bacon. The oven will warm up the kitchen which makes this a perfect entrée for a cold, rainy night.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons More Than Olives Garlic Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion, grated
• 2 Stacks Fresh Celery, small chopped
• 4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Cup Ketchup
• ½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 6 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
• ½ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 6 Tablespoons More Than Olives Aged Balsamic Vinegar
• ¾ Cups Chicken Stock or Bone Broth
• ½ Cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 2 Large Eggs
• 2/3 Cup Breadcrumbs, Plain or Italian
• ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
• 1 Tablespoon Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
• ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground
• 2 Pounds Ground Beef, 15% fat or 7% fat
• 10-12 Strips of Bacon, uncooked

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking pan with foil and then parchment paper.

Using the side of your grater with the large holes, grate the yellow onion.   Chop the celery and garlic cloves. Add them into a small skillet, with the More Than Olives Garlic Olive Oil, and cook over medium heat until very soft about 5 minutes, stirring them occasionally. Transfer them to a large bowl when done. 

In a small non-stick saucepan place the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, More Than Olives Aged Balsamic Vinegar, brown sugar, and cayenne.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the sauce can simmer. Continue stirring until the sauce slightly reduces and is a bit syrupy. About 5 minutes. 

When the sauce is done, take 2 tablespoons of the sauce and add to a blender along with chicken broth and fresh parsley. Blend until smooth.  Let the rest of the ketchup sauce sit in the pan.

Add to the large bowl the cooked veggies, the broth mixture, eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.  Mix with a large spoon to combine. Add your beef and mix well. Using your hands works best!  Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the prepared pan and form into a long log (about 12” x 5”), smoothing the surface of the loaf. Brush the loaf with the remaining sauce, saving just a little to brush over the bacon. Drape the bacon strips in a crisscross pattern over the loaf, tucking the ends underneath the meatloaf. Brush the last little bit of sauce over the bacon.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees and the bacon is crisp about 70-80 minutes. Let the meatloaf rest on the counter for 10 minutes before slicing. 

If you want some sauce to drizzle on each slice of meatloaf when serving, you can double the batch of the sauce.  If you end up with leftover sauce it would be great drizzled on a pulled pork sandwich or used as a dip for chicken strips.