All American Decadent Meat Loaf

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. 2

   Using a food processor, grind the croutons with the chili powder. Set aside. Process the onion, garlic, carrot, pepper, and parsley in the food processor until finely, finely diced.

3. 3

   Mix the meat, ground croutons, and vegetables until well mixed. Season liberally with sea salt and pepper. Add the 3 eggs, mix without squeezing the meat too much.

4. 4

   Mix the bottle of A1, ketchup, brown sugar, hot sauce, and dijon mustard in a bowl.

5. 5

   I made mine freehanded, which in my opinion is more fun.

6. 6

   When you form the loaf you want it to be pretty even to ensure its fully cooked when all is said and done. Mine was about 3 1/2 inches thick.

7. 7

   Place strips of bacon horizontally over the loaf until it is fully covered. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Take out of oven and add a heavy glaze of sauce. Bake for another 40 minutes. Add another layer of sauce. Cook until done, probably another 30-45 minutes. Using a meat thermometer, ensure that the thickest part of the loaf is 160 degrees. Add a final layer of sauce to the loaf and cover with foil until ready to serve. It stayed pretty hot for about an hour.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.