Beef and Sausage Meatloaf with Roasted Bell Peppers

So many recipes end up in the blog post graveyard because I couldn’t remember how I made it. I never write anything down because I always think I’ll remember everything but two weeks later, I'm racking my brains trying to figure out if it was 1 or 2 teaspoons of x, y, and z. I’ve had this meatloaf sandwich photo in my photostream for over two months because I neglected to write down the recipe the last time I made it. I finally got around to making it again and this time I was extra meticulous in measuring and weighing ingredients. Steven volunteered to be the kitchen scribe so this recipe finally made it down on paper. The roasted bell pepper makes it extra special but I understand if you don’t want to go through the trouble. The best part is the crisp bacon wrapping, that’s something you absolutely can’t skip. I will use any excuse to add bacon to something, preferably copious amounts of bacon. This recipe has one loooong ingredients list but it’s so worth it!

The leftovers are just as good, especially in sandwiches. I prefer hot meatloaf sandwiches, I could never get behind cold meatloaf. I cut the meatloaf into thick slices and sear them in a skillet and sauté some mushrooms and onions. Then all of that gets piled on two slices of thick sourdough with shredded pepper jack or white cheddar, ketchup and mustard, and slowly toasted in a skillet with lots of butter until the cheese is melty and bread is golden. Good times.

I also recently started using Twitter because it seems like the cool thing to do. Actually, I registered my username a few weeks ago but never got around to setting it up. Mysteriously, I started getting followers of my empty Twitter, which pressured/prompted me to try to make things more interesting for all 4 followers. :) Anyway, so if you want to hear me tweet about classes, exams, and food aka my life in three words (more like bitch about the first two and go on incessantly about the third) you can follow me at @nookandpantry. I'm still a total noob at this twitter business so bear with me.

Beef and Sausage Meatloaf with Roasted Bell
Pepper
1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and diced
8 oz. extra lean ground beef
8 oz. Italian sausage
1/2 large diced onion chopped, roughly 3/4 C cup chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C chopped Italian/flat leaf parsley
1/3 C old-fashioned or quick oatmeal
1 large egg
1/4 C sour cream
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
Tabasco a few shakes to taste
6 - 8 slices of bacon, preferably thick cut

Roast the bell pepper on the stovetop or under the broiler, cut the bell pepper so it lays flat on a baking tray and broil on the top rack until the skin blisters and blackens. Let it sit until it is cool enough to handle before peeling off the skin then dice the roasted pepper. Set aside to cool.

Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and a big pinch of salt and cook until the onions are translucent and soft. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Mix all of the ingredients – beef, sausage, cooked vegetables, fillers, and flavorings in a large bowl. Turn the meat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and shape it into a loaf form. Wrap the loaf with bacon, tucking the ends under the loaf. Bake at 375 degrees until the internal temperature is 165 degrees and the bacon is crisp, about an hour. Let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

Serve with ketchup because you can't have meatloaf without ketchup.