Bacon and Double Cheeseburger Loaf Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is limp and some of the fat is rendered, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet and reserve it.

In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to gently but thoroughly mix together the meat , bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of the cheese , onion, mayonnaise , relish, mustard , salt , pepper and egg. Pat the mixture into a shallow 2-quart baking pan. Spread the top of the loaf with the ketchup , then lay the bacon strips over the ketchup . Bake until the loaf is firm and the bacon is crisp, 45 to 50 minutes, sprinkling the top of the loaf with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese to melt during the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking. Internal temperature should be 155 degrees. Let the meatloaf stand in the baking dish for 10 minutes, then cut into squares to serve.

Yield: 6 servings Source: Everybody Loves Meatloaf by Melanie Barnard (Harper Perennial Library)

Reprinted with permission.