Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

Look at that tight bacon weave

It’s bacon! Sometimes I just need to wrap things in bacon.  I learned about bacon tapestry when I made a bacon explosion for my husband’s birthday. Sometimes I need my food in loaf form. This meal satisfied both of these desires in a big way. I made this loaf with a combination of turkey and hot Italian sausage because that is what I had in my fridge and because I thought it would be awesome. Turns out, it was awesome.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter

1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 lb ground turkey

1 lb hot Italian sausage

6 oz tomato paste

1 tsp white wine vinegar

Meatloaf raw next to the less successful porcini mushroom meatloaf.

2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

4 tbs Worcestershire sauce

2 large eggs

3/4 cup ground flax seed

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 pound bacon

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Over medium heat, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and butter until the butter is melted.
3. Add the onion and heat until they are translucent and tender.
4. Add the garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, and cumin and saute until fragrant about 30 seconds.
5. Add the tomato paste and mix with the other ingredient. Saute for another 30 seconds to add some caramel flavor.
6. Finally, mix in the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
7. Remove the mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
8. In a large bowl, mix the meats, eggs, ground flax seed and skillet ingredients. I use the tips of my fingers so I don’t over squish the meat and make the meatloaf dense.
9. On a sheet pan or in a lasagne pan, form the meat into a loaf.
10. You can either weave the bacon on top or just place it to cover the loaf.  The weave does look cooler though.
11. Sprinkle the bacon with smoked paprika and some grinds of black pepper.  This would be the appropriate time to take pictures for facebook, twitter, or to text your friends your dinner to make them feel jealous.
12. Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 55 – 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. If the bacon is not crispy enough for your taste, turn on your broiler and cook for 3 – 5 minutes.
13. Allow to cook for 10 minutes. This would be another good time to take pictures.

I loved this meatloaf. LOVED! This would pair well with roasted veggies and a salad.

Bacon!

Just a quick post before I get back to the holiday festivities. This year my husband and I received some bacon heavy gifts. Not only did we receive five pounds of bacon from my aunt, but my sisters gave use My First Bacon and a bacon ornament from Alphie McPhee. See the horrible example of bacon cannibalism below.

Quick and Easy Mini Breakfast Frittatas

Image courtesy of wikipedia

I, like so many of you, hate mornings.  I wake-up with only just enough time to get my butt out the door. Breakfast? There is no way I was eating breakfast at home. Before eating the low-carb way, my breakfast consisted of coffee with non-fat creamer and an unhealthy helping of sucralose. When I spoke to my nutritionist and she insisted on me eating breakfast high in fat and protein, I was skeptical to say the least.  How was I going to make a protein and fat laden breakfast when I barely had time to brush my teeth?

I realized if I wanted to commit to changing my diet, I was going to have to reorganize my life.  The first step was breakfast. The only way I was going to eat a nutritious, protein and fat laden meal early in the morning was to make it the night before.  I decided to go with an easy frittata and reheat it in the morning.

Quick and Easy Mini Breakfast Frittatas

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Separate three large eggs and add the yolks to a medium mixing bowl or 4 cup glass measure. I usually freeze the egg whites to use another day.
3. Add the whole eggs in with the yolks and whisk until light yellow and frothy.
4. Pour in cream and whisk to combine.
5. Add goat cheese and whisk to combine.  The cheese should become part of the mixture.
6. Add the salt and pepper and whisk together.
7. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the bottom of the pan and up on the sides to coat.
8. Pour or ladle mixture into greased, 12-cup muffin pan until the cups are half filled.  I use silicon muffin trays because eggs can be messy to clean up.
9. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the mixture and crack on some extra pepper.
10. Bake for 20 minutes or until the frittatas have puffed and have a golden brown color.
11. Wait for the frittatas to cool and reheat in the microwave over for about one minute.  This will vary based on the power of the microwave oven.

You can easily vary this recipe.  Some of my favorite combinations are smoked salmon and chives, Spinach and mushrooms, and basil and grated.

Smoked Salmon and Chives

1. Reduce the amount of goat cheese to 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup of cream cheese.
2. Add the smoked salmon and chives after you have poured the mixture into the muffin pans.
3. Cook for the same amount of time.
4. Bake as directed.

Spinach and Mushrooms

1. Add 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms to a pan with 2 tbs of butter and saute until golden on both sides.
2. Add 1 cup of fresh spinach or 1/2 cup of frozen spinach and saute until the spinach is heated through and a majority of the water has evaporated.
3. Distribute the mixture evenly between the twelve muffin cups.
4. Add the egg mixture.
5. Bake as directed.

Basil and Zucchini

1. Grate one small zucchini and one onion using the largest holes on a box grater.
2. Add 1 tbs oil and saute the mixture until the zucchini has softened about 3 – 4 minutes.
3. Spoon the mixture into the bottom of the muffin cups.
4. Pour over the egg mixture.
5. Bake as directed.

For the bacon, I would place a rasher of thick-cut and nitrate-free bacon on some cooling racks over aluminum foil lined jelly roll pans. Make sure the bacon strips are not touching. Before I put the mini-quiches in to cook, I would start the bacon in a cold over set for 400 degrees. After 15-17 minutes, I would check on the bacon to take it out when it is brown, but before it is crisped.  Depending on your oven and the brand of bacon you use cooking time will vary. The bacon will finish cooking nicely in the microwave.

Egg image courtesy of wikipedia.