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1
Preheat the oven to 350.
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2
Wash your hands (no kidding).
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3
In a big bowl, use your hands to mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, red peppers, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt.
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4
The mixture should cling together.
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5
If it doesnt, add a little beer or milk until it does.
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6
Place strips of bacon across a loaf or baking pan the baking pan, touching each other side by side, and press against the sides.
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7
Place half of the mixture in, and press the mixture against the bottom and up the sides to create an even layer at least an inch thick around a bathtub shaped depression in the middle.
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8
Fill 1/3 of that tub with mac and cheese, not quite to the top of the surrounding meat loaf.
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9
Top everything with an inch thick layer of meat loaf mixture.
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10
Finally, top with strips of bacon, arranged across the width of the pan.
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11
(Tip: Tuck the bacon in between the side of the loaf pan and the meat loaf mixture to prevent it curling up as the bacon cooks.
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12
).
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13
Slide the meat loaf into the oven, and cook uncovered for 50 minutes, or until the interior registers 160F At about the 25-minute mark, take out the meatloaf and carefully pour off the accumulated fat and juices, then continue cooking.
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14
To serve, slice with a knife, and serve slices with ketchup alongside.
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15
Variation: Use ground pork or turkey (or a mixture) in place of the ground beef.
