Maple Dijon Glazed Meatloaf

I don’t really eat meatloaf (or much meat for that matter), but I thought I would make this as it is a hit for the two other members of my family. It was SO delicious, totally melt-in-your-mouth amazing, and has completely transformed my outlook on meatloaf.

Recipe adapted from Susan Guerrero

Yield: 4-6 servings

Total cook time: 1 1/2 - 2 hours

Ingredients

3 strips bacon

1 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, small diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

2 large eggs

2 tsp dry mustard

3/4 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Dash or two of a vinegar based hot sauce (like Tabasco)

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1/2 cup bread crumbs (use gluten free if needed)

1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions

1. In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. When hot, add onions and cook for about 3 minutes or until just softening. Add garlic, cover, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, yogurt or sour cream eggs, dry mustard, salt, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, ground pepper, and hot sauce.

3. In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, onion mixture, and milk mixture. Use your hands to combine. Add bread crumbs and parsley and mix lightly until thoroughly combined. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil. Place the meat mixture on baking sheet and form into a domed loaf, roughly about 3-4” x 10-12”. Place 3 strips of bacon lengthwise on top of loaf.

4. In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and Dijon mustard. Paint/pour a thick coat over bacon, using about half of the mixture. Bake uncovered, until a thermometer inserted into center registers 155°F, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Halfway through the baking process, pour the remaining maple syrup and dijon mixture on top. If your meatloaf is producing a lot of juice, you can baste periodically throughout the cooking process. Let meatloaf rest about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
   

Notes

• If using a higher fat content beef and pork product, you may opt for putting a wire rack over the foil lined baking sheet in order to prevent the meatloaf from becoming too greasy.