12789 Jean's Best Meat Loaf Makes 6 to 8 servings Wed Aug 06 07:57:39 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 03:50:42 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12789 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:50:42 GMT When I noticed in her cookbook Quick Loaves that my friend Jean Anderson had provided a recipe for her grandmother's meat loaf that included not only bacon inside and outside the loaf but also a little baking powder for lightness, I couldn't make the dish fast enough. Like her grandma, however, I did use regular whole milk for soaking the bread crumbs instead of the fat-free evaporated milk Jean calls for, as well as an ordinary yellow onion in place of chopped scallions. Suffice it to say that, even with my slight modifications, the result is one of the most flavorful, moist, glorious meat loaves ever conceived—thanks mostly to all the bacon.

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  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and set aside.
  • Place the bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl, drizzle the milk over the top, and let soak. Meanwhile, fry 2 slices of the bacon in a small skillet over moderate heat till crisp, drain on paper towels, and crumble finely.
  • Add the crumbled bacon plus all remaining ingredients except the 5 remaining bacon slices to the soaked bread crumbs and mix with your hands till thoroughly blended. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, mounding slightly in the center, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, increase the heat to 375°F, and arrange the 5 remaining bacon slices lengthwise on top of the loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking the ends down against the pan with a spatula.
  • Return the loaf to the oven and bake till the bacon is nicely browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the loaf in the pan about 20 minutes, pouring off the fat, then transfer to a plate and cut into slices.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com James Villas 50 Main 3 cups soft white bread crumbs

    ]]>     1 cup whole milk

    ]]>     7 slices lean streaky bacon

    ]]>     1½ pounds lean ground beef (preferably a mixture of chuck and round)

    ]]>     1 medium onion, chopped

    ]]>     1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

    ]]>     1 celery rib, chopped

    ]]>     ½ cup ketchup

    ]]>     ½ teaspoon baking powder

    ]]>     ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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