Glazed Brown Sugar Bacon Meatloaf

⏱ 95 min · Serves 6

A proper old-fashioned meatloaf: juicy beef and pork bound with milk-soaked breadcrumbs, wrapped in bacon and lacquered with a sticky brown sugar ketchup glaze. Slices beautifully, and the leftovers make the best sandwiches of your week.

Per serving: 610 kcal · 40.0g protein · 29.0g carbs · 36.0g fat

Ingredients

• 100g fresh white breadcrumbs (about 2 slices bread, blitzed)
• 120ml whole milk
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 500g beef mince (15% fat)
• 400g pork mince
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1.5 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 6 rashers streaky bacon
• 120g ketchup
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C fan / 200C conventional. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir the breadcrumbs into the milk and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion and celery with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic for the last minute, then tip onto a plate to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Add both minces, the eggs, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and the cooled vegetables to the soaked breadcrumbs. Mix with your hands until just combined - stop as soon as it looks even, or the loaf will be dense.
5. Tip onto the lined tray and shape into a free-form loaf roughly 24cm long, 12cm wide and 6cm tall. Lay the bacon rashers over the top, tucking the ends underneath.
6. Whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and Dijon together. Brush a third of it over the loaf.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, then brush with another third of the glaze. Bake a further 20-25 minutes, until a thermometer in the centre reads 70C and the juices run clear.
8. Brush with the last of the glaze and rest for 10 minutes before slicing thickly. Great with mashed potato and buttered green beans.