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Epic Meatloaf

Everyone I know loves this meatloaf. Our harvest crew has built the reputation of this meatloaf to “epic” proportions (hence the lofty name). Every year they wait – not very patiently – for meatloaf night. My kids love it too and with a glass of Big Fire Pinot Noir and a side of mashed potatoes, you have the ultimate comfort dinner for a Tuesday night (or any night!). By the way, this makes one loaf. I usually double it to insure leftovers. Or I take the mixture and put it in a zip lock plastic bag and freeze it for another day.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: comfort food, family friendly, meatloaf, Pinpot Noir
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 3 slices good quality white sandwich bread
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium onion cut into chunks
  • 1 celery stalk cut into chunks
  • 1 medium carrot cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 3/4 pound bacon, chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup ketchup, divided
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dry yellow mustard

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375. Pulse the bread in a food processor until finely ground. You should have about 2 1/2 cups breadcrumbs - if you have more you can freeze them for another use. Transfer to a medium bowl.
  • Put the garlic and all the other vegetables along with the parsley leaves in the bowl of a food processor and finely chop (use the pulse mode for this). Add this mixture to the breadcrumbs.
  • Add the meats, the egg, 1/2 cup ketchup, the dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix together gently, using your hands.
  • You could cook this in a 5 x 9 loaf pan, but I just shape it into a loaf form with my hands. I line a sheet pan with parchment paper and form two loaves right on there.
  • Stir together the remaining ketchup, the brown sugar and the dry mustard until smooth. Brush on to the top of the meat.
  • Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees. Remove from the oven, cover in foil and allow to rest about 15 minutes. Using two spatulas, lift the loaf up off the sheet pan, leaving all that fat on the pan there, and transfer the loaf to a cutting board. Slice and serve.