Bacon & Cheddar Meatloaf with Drunken Asparagus Couscous

Yes I said "Drunken Asparagus"...

Moving along... :)

Wednesday night I decided to play around with my old staple meatloaf recipe - eggs, panko, seasonings, meat, ketchup on top. Sometimes that just gets plain old boring for my tastes so I decided to toss in what I had in my fridge - bacon and cheddar. I had saved some of the cooked bacon from the last time I had cooked breakfast in hopes of producing something delicious with it. Same goes for the couscous from the steak tip meal on Monday.

Let's start with the meatloaf... I added in all my usual suspects but instead of just using ground chuck, I used a mix that my local grocery store sells that is ground pork, veal, and beef. The result is the tastiest meatloaf I've ever eaten. I don't think I'll go back to straight "meat" meatloaf ever again. I also changed up the typical ketchup topping and added some brown sugar, A1 and worsterchire sauce to the glaze. It gave the meatloaf this sweet finish in your mouth and reminded us of a barbecue bacon cheese burger - delicious!

As for the Drunken Asparagus Couscous... this just sort of popped into my head when I realized that I had leftover couscous and a beautiful bunch of organic asparagus in my fridge. It was a match made in heaven.

Enjoy :)

Bacon & Cheddar Meatloaf with Drunken Asparagus Couscous


For the loaf...
1.5 pounds of ground meat (I used a mix of 1/2 lb beef, 1/2 lb veal, 1/2 lb pork)
2 eggs
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 pieces of deli cheddar cheese, chopped
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
s&p to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl.
Transfer meat to a foil lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with Pam.
Form meat into a log, add glaze, and do a little dance that it's almost time to eat.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.


For the glaze...
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp A1
2 tsp Worcestershire

Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl.
Use a basting brush to slater glaze onto the meatloaf before cooking.
Halfway through the cooking process, slather more glaze on and try not to drool onto the meatloaf.


For the asparagus and couscous...
1 pound of asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces and blanched
1 tbsp + 1 tsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp white wine (I used chardonnay... a splash for dinner, a sip for me)
2 cups cooked couscous
s&p to taste

Heat the butter and oil together until combined. Add garlic and cook until translucent.
Sautee the asparagus for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through.
Add the couscous and combine.
Add the white wine, allow to reduce, and toss in a teaspoon of butter for good measure. Season with salt & pepper as needed.

Ma! The meatloaf!!

When I told the husband that meatloaf was on this week's menu I heard an under breath groan and it made me realize how meatloaf has a bad wrap. At that point I decided that I needed to do something to spark the husband's interest and get him excited about meatloaf (can one REALLY get excited about meatloaf?).

I decided to jazz up the boring old meatloaf with chunks of sharp cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and a brown sugar glaze. The result? A meatloaf that husband was asking if he could take the leftovers for lunch. If that isn't someone who is excited about a meatloaf, I don't know what is.

Enjoy :)

Tana's Jazzed Up Meatloaf

For the loaf:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef OR a mix of beef, veal, pork totaling 1 1/2 pounds

1 egg

1 onion, sliced

2 tbsp butter

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup dried bread crumbs

1 cup cheddar cheese cubes

2 tsp worschister sauce

salt and pepper to taste

For the glaze:

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp worschister sauce

In a large skillet, combine sliced onion with 2 tbsp butter and 1 teaspoon sugar. Allow to caramalize then let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk, worsticher sauce, and dried bread crumbs. Add cheese cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan.

Mix the ketchup, worschister sauce, and brown sugar together until combined. Slater over the meatloaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Hola! Mi llamo Mexican Chicken Meatloaf!

In my hunt for healthy recipes, I came across a meatloaf recipe that called for ground beef that caught my eye... I knew I could just sub in ground chicken for the beef and make it that much better. It turned out quite tasty and moist and it satisfied my love of Mexican flavors!

Enjoy!

Mexican Chicken Meatloaf




1 lb. ground chicken
1 cup crushed Doritos
1 egg - beaten
1 packet taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups shredded colby/jack cheese - divided
1 1/2 cups salsa - divided
1/2 can refried beans


Combine first 4 ingredients, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and 1 cup of the salsa.

Form mixture into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.

Spread refried beans over the top of the meat loaf.

Drizzle remaining salsa over top.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.