This is the first meatloaf I’ve ever made, and I can honestly say it’s a pretty damn good meatloaf to start out with. Would probably substitute panko for oats in the future, but otherwise? Get a good gouda, good bacon, and ground meat, all from your local farmers market if you can, and enjoy the awesomeness of this meatloaf.

Bacon and Gouda Stuffed Meatloaf with Tomato Marmalade
Lasts an incredibly long time (about two weeks’ worth of lunches, minimum)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• .75 lb ground pork
• 2 t grated onion
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• .25 c oats
• .5 t garlic salt
• 1 t onion powder
• 8 slices of bacon, cooked
• 1 c grated Gouda (I used smoked gouda, you could also use cheddar)

Tomato Marmalade

• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them for a reasonable price)
• 1.5 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T dark brown sugar
• .25 t crushed red pepper

Cook your bacon to its desired doneness, and while it cooks, grate your Gouda. As soon as the bacon is done, remove it to a paper towel. Combine all ingredients for the loaf except for the bacon and gouda in a large bowl, using your hands if necessary to mash it together.

Ideally, for the loaf, you have a bread pan, but if you don’t, use a cake pan, and shape the loaf in the bottom of the pan with half the meat. Lay down half the gouda, then the bacon, then the other half of the gouda on top, and form the top part of the loaf with the other half of the meat, sealing in the bacon and cheese. Preheat your oven to 350 (325 on my oven), and put the loaf in.

Immediately after the loaf is in the oven, put your tomatoes, balsamic, dark brown sugar, and crushed red pepper in a pot and stir to combine, bringing it to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes, until reduced by about half.

Once the marmalade is done, remove the loaf from heat and pour the marmalade on top of it. After that, it should cook for about ten minutes more. I actually set mine for an additional half hour, so that it was closer to an hour in the oven instead of the overall 40 minutes the recipe recommends. My loaf is likely more well done as a result (I haven’t cut far enough in to confirm).

And then, enjoy the noms!

This is one of those so stupidly easy, why did I not already think of doing this sort of recipes.  Having one of those nights where you don’t want to make much more than mac and cheese, but want to class it up a bit? Just add alcohol!  Literally.

Hard Cider Mac and Cheese
Lasts one meal

• one box mac and cheese (go with the shaped ones for maximum adultitude)
• milk
• one bottle hard cider (you’ll only use a third of the bottle)
• whatever spices you put in your mac and cheese – I typically go with dill, pepper, and garlic powder

Make the boxed mac and cheese according to the directions on the box, up to the part where you add the cheese to the strained noodles. Add your cheese packet, less milk than you would normally (I used about half of what I usually do), and a third of your bottle of hard cider (I used Woodchuck’s Fall cider).  Then, mix in whatever spices you do with your mac and cheese (and if you don’t, do that, it makes it taste less bland), and enjoy!