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1
Preheat oven to 350' F.
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2
Combine all ingredients for glaze in a small bowl, set aside.
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3
In a large skillet, over medium heat add bacon drippings.
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4
Once hot, add onion, shallots, garlic, & bell pepper and saute until softened (about 15-20 minutes), remove from heat, set aside & let cool slightly.
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5
In a large bowl, combine all other meatloaf ingredients (EXCEPT cheese), along with the sauteed veggies and mix with your hands just until combined.
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6
Transfer the mixture to a large jelly roll pan & shape into a large loaf.
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7
( I prefer not to use a loaf pan because we like the extra crusty edges).
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8
Place meatloaf in preheated oven, and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.
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9
Remove meatloaf from oven & increase the temperature to 400' F. Reserve about 1/3 cup of glaze to serve with the finished meatloaf, if desired, and spread the rest all over the loaf, return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes to set the glaze.
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10
Remove the meatloaf from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
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11
Cut into thick slices & serve with reserved glaze and top with cheese slices if desired.
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12
Note: we like to serve this with traditional BBQ fare like corn on the cob and creamy potato salad and if you don't need the full 6-8 servings make the whole meatloaf anyway -- the leftovers make a great sandwich the next day!
