Main Dishes/ Pork

Ground Bacon and Pork Meatloaf with Dairy-Free Mozzarella

Pork and bacon meatloaf on a gold-rimmed white dish with a silver fork

The words “meatloaf” and “comfort” are an oxymoron to me. That’s because when I was a child, meatloaf night was a dining horror story. My mother, whose culinary skills approached zero, served overbaked meatloaf coated with a shrunken skin of dark red ketchup. It was hard to chew and tasted, well, like dirt.

Meatloaf had a brief revival as a “comfort food” a few years ago, appearing on the menus in chic farm-to-table restaurants. I avoided the stuff for obvious reasons. I was persuaded to make meatloaf when one of my children requested it, but I wasn’t thrilled about it. I made a passable meatloaf out of ground pork and turkey (my mother used ground beef), and it tasted OK.

My youngest child had the brilliant idea one day to grind up bacon, combine it with ground pork and dairy-free mozzarella. I added eggs, ketchup and gluten-free bread crumbs. We put this mess into a loaf pan and baked it for 45 minutes. The result: fantastic! Not My Mother’s Meatloaf is back on the menu!

I often serve this meatloaf garnished with dairy-free sour cream to cut the saltiness of the dish. I like the contrast between the cool sour cream and the warm meat loaf. Sprinkle the dairy-free sour cream with chopped fresh chives or parsley to add a crisp touch of green.

Ground Bacon and Pork Meatloaf with Dairy-Free Mozzarella

By Springhouse Turtle Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 50 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Unlike the cardboardy meatloaf of my childhood, this bacony meatloaf laced with melted faux mozzarella is light, juicy and fantastic!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 pound bacon, ground in a food processor or high-speed blender
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1/2 cup dairy-free mozzarella shreds (I like Daiya brand)
  • 1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • Dairy-free sour cream and chopped chives (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2

Grease a 9" by 5" loaf pan with butter or shortening. Set aside.

3

In a small bowl, whisk the ketchup and eggs together.

4

Whisk in the salt and pepper and set aside.

5

In a large bowl, blend the bacon, pork, mozzarella "cheese" and bread crumbs. It's easiest to do this with your hands.

6

Add the ketchup and egg mix, and continue blending with your hands until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

7

Put the meat mixture into the prepared loaf pan.

8

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes. The loaf should be reduced in size, and pulled away from the sides of the pan. There will be fat at the bottom of the pan from the bacon. (Save it to use in cooking!)

9

Move the meatloaf to a serving dish, and cut into slices.

10

Just before serving, garnish each slice with a dollop of dairy-free sour cream and a spritz of chopped chives or parsley.

Springhouse Turtle Eats

 

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