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Welcome to Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. This is a place for me to post recipes of all kinds...along with other miscellaneous fodder from my so-called life here in the south. Who knows what you will find here. Could be anything from my husband...known as IT Guy...to my kids and beautiful grandbabies that are growing up way too fast right before my eyes. But...mostly this will be a place for food. I hope you'll see something you like and if you decide to try something from the list...leave me a comment and let me know!



Monday, May 2, 2011

Bacon Wrapped Chipotle Meatloaf

Anyone who knows me at all, knows I have a disdain for meatloaf. I'm not afraid to say I HATE it. I've written on here before how my mom decided when I was 16..that I was going to cook dinner once a week. I had no interest in cooking because there were BOYS around. At that age...boys were much more interesting than food. But my mom inSISted, so I complied. But not without fussing the whole time. The first thing she decided I'd make was...meatloaf!! And she knew I hated it. Way to get me interested in cooking, mom!! "Oooo, I have an idea! Val, you cook dinner and to make sure you never forget it, let's make meatloaf!!!!" Really, mom? Really? Well...I've come a long way, baby. I decided the other day, that I'd make IT Guy a meatloaf. (He actually LIKES the stuff!) I had some leftover Honey Chipotle BBQ sauce so I figured if I slathered that all over that loaf of meat, how bad could it be? I also had some bacon I figured would help disguise it. And guess what? It actually worked! IT Guy LOVED it...and yours truly even managed to eat a piece without  hurling. Success!!

Bacon Wrapped Chipotle Meatloaf



1 pound lean group beef
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup water
1 egg
1 clove of garlic, minced
¼ cup finely diced onion
Salt
Pepper
Bacon
Chipotle Sauce recipe OR BBQ sauce, about 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a small baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine meat, bread crumbs, garlic, onion, water, egg, salt and pepper. Do not overwork the mixture but make sure it’s well mixed.

Place mixture into prepared pan and shape into a loaf. Lay strips of bacon on top of loaf and tuck under. Spread chipotle sauce over bacon.

Bake for about 45 minutes until the top is nicely browned and meat is done. Allow to set for 5 – 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Hmmm....not sure where the egg is, but along with all this stuff, you need an egg. You see that little plastic container? That's what's left of the chipotle sauce I used in another recipe. Maybe 1/2 cup or so. I used it all.
Hmmm....not sure where the egg is, 
but along with all this stuff, you need an egg. 
You see that little plastic container? That's 
what's left of the chipotle sauce I used in 
another recipe. Maybe 1/2 cup or so. I used it all.
Put everything, except the bacon and sauce, in a medium sized bowl.
Put everything, except the bacon 
and sauce, in a medium sized bowl.
Squish it around until it's nice and combined.
Squish it around until it's nice and combined.
Plop the meat into a greased baking pan and shape it into a loaf. Then cover it with the bacon.
Plop the meat into a greased baking 
pan and shape it into a loaf. Then 
cover it with the bacon.
Then smear the sauce all over the bacon.
Then smear the sauce all over the bacon.
Then bake it for a while until it looks like this!!
Then bake it for a while until it looks like this!!