Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Now I don't make a lot of meatloaves, but I have always wanted to make one with hard boiled eggs in the centre and wrapped in bacon.

While perusing the freezer yesterday looking for something to cook for tea, my eyes spied a packet of bacon and a parcel of mince, so I decided this is a good time to try the meatloaf wrapped in bacon.

This is a really easy recipe, you can serve it with creamy mashed potato or do as I did for an easy tea put a tray of potatoes, carrot and pumpkin in to roast at the same time, which makes it a one oven meal. I also made some packet gravy, as Mr CLI doesn't consider it a proper meatloaf unless it has gravy and tomato sauce ! He also doesn't consider it a meatloaf unless it has peas, so in they went.

Now this recipe was enough for 9 thick slices of meatloaf. I used lean mince so it didn't require any breadcrumbs or an egg. If you find that it won't hold together to form a meat loaf add 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and 1 egg.

Meatloaf

750 grams mince beef, 1/2 onion finely chopped or grated, optional 1/2 cup frozen peas and/or 1/2 cup grated carrot, 1 tbsps chopped fresh parsley, 2 tbsps tomato sauce, 1 tbsps worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp dried mustard powder, salt and pepper 3 eggs cooked for 8 minutes and peeled, 8 - 10 rashers bacon

If you grate the onion add it straight to the mince mixture. If you have chopped the onion saute over low heat in 1 tbsp oil until soft, let cool then add to mince mixture.

Combine all ingredients except eggs and bacon. Line a tray with baking paper. Place rasher on tray overlapping the sides. Take half the mixture and form the base, mould a groove in the middle for the eggs. Lay the eggs end to end about 2 cm from the narrow edge. Use the remaining mixture to form the meatloaf.

Cover over with the bacon. I found that my packet was all the eyes, so I just covered it with very little wrapping it did the job fine.

Bake for 30 minutes, you will probably find a lot of liquid in the tray, pour off and return to the oven for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the oven leave for 5 minutes before slicing.

Now my husband was full of praise for this meatloaf, so this has now become the new recipe to cook when I make meatloaf.