Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze 1/2 Cup Ketchup or Chili Sauce 4 Tbsp Brown Sugar 4 tsp Cider or White Vinegar Meat Loaf 2 tsp Oil 1 Medium Onion - Chopped 2 Cloves Garlic - Minced 2 Large Eggs 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper 2 tsp Dijon Mustard 2 tsp Worcester Sauce 1/4 tsp Hot Red Pepper Sauce 1/2 Cup Whole Milk or Plain Yogurt 2 lbs Meat Loaf Mixture (50% Ground Chuck, 25% Ground Pork, 25% Ground Veal) 2/3 Cup Crushed saltine crackers (about 16) or Quick Oatmeal or 1 1/3 cups Fresh Bread Crumbs 1/3 Cup Fresh Parsley Leaves - Minced 8 oz Thin-Slice Bacon (8-12 slices, depending on loaf shape)
Recipe Steps
1.
For the Glaze: Mix all ingredients in small saucepan; set aside.
2.
For the Meatloaf: Heat oven to 350-degrees.
3.
Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion and garlic; saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
4.
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.)
5.
Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup) and oil aluminum foil surface. Turn meat mixture onto foil lined baking dish. With wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9-by-5 inch loaf shape. Got an extra treat, create 2-3 wells in the loaf and place a raw egg in each, then shape meat over the raw eggs.
6.
Brush the loaf with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.
7.
Bake loan until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Cool at least 20 minutes.
8.
Simmer remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened slightly. Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze pass separately.
