Bacon Egg & Sausage Meatloaf

There is one thing in my house that is always a complete hit for dinner - and that's MEATLOAF. There are literally thousands of variations, and since it usually hits the dinner plates once a week, I'm always creating a new type of loaf! One of the first mentions of meatloaf dates as far back as the 5th century, where it was included in the famous collection of Roman cookery "Apicius" though the traditional American loaf did not appear in cookbooks until the late 19th century. A relative of the Italian meatball, meatloaf has been a traditional dish in mostly German, Dutch and Belgian households. I created my "Bacon, Egg & Sausage Meatloaf" one evening because I had a craving for breakfast food and the Husband wanted meatloaf. So here it is!

Serves 4-6


What You Will Need:
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Medium Onion (I used a yellow onion)
2 Stalks of Celery (fine chopped)
1 Pound 80% Lean Ground Beef
1 Pound Bulk Sage Sausage
2 Eggs (lightly beaten)
3 Slices Bread (crusts removed, torn into small pieces a soaked in a bit of cold water)
3/4 Cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs (Italian-style)
1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce (I used Frank's)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Pinch of Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper To Taste (I use sea salt and Malabar black pepper)
1/2 Cup Ketchup (I ALWAYS use Heinz!)
6-8 Strips of Good Bacon (uncooked)


Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. While you are waiting for the oven to preheat, heat up your vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet (this is what I choose to cook in, but whatever saute pan you have will do the trick - I just rather not kill my canaries!). Add your onions and celery and saute over medium heat until tender but not brown. Turn off burner and set aside to cool slightly while preparing your meat mixture. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it lightly with non-stick cooking spray.


In a large bowl, combine ground beef and bulk sausage with beaten eggs, sauces, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in your sauteed veggies, then squeeze the excess water out of your bread and mix that in as well. Now add your breadcrumbs and USE YOUR HANDS (don't be scared!) to mash the whole thing together and then form into a big ball.


Plop the over sized meat mixture ball onto the center of your prepared baking sheet and flatten it out to form a 6x9 inch loaf. Spoon and spread the ketchup over the top of the loaf and then lay your bacon strips over top. NOW WASH YOUR HANDS! Place in the oven and bake uncovered 50-55 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.


I served my loaf with mashed potatoes and corn....but you could get more creative and stick with the breakfast theme by serving it with hash brown potatoes or grits!