Bacon cheeseburger meatloaf

Meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food. Add bacon and cheese, and its like a warm, all-enveloping hug from your mom. Last night I decided to pull out all the stops and make a Sunday-style comfort food dinner in the middle of the week. Why save all that good food for the weekend?

My husband and sons love bacon cheeseburgers, so I thought Id turn a meatloaf into a giant version of their favorite burger. Heres how:

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound pork sausage

1 small onion, chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko, available in the Asian food department)

1/3 cup ketchup

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

6 slices bacon

Sliced cheese (I used Colby Jack)

Combine the meats, eggs, bread crumbs, ketchup, seasoned salt, and Italian seasoning. Divide in half. Form one half into a loaf and place it in a treated casserole dish. Place sliced cheese on top, leaving an inch border all the way around on the outside. Put the other half of the meat on top of the cheese, and press down on the edges to seal. Drape bacon over top of the meatloaf, overlapping slightly, and tuck the ends underneath. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 90 minutes or until you get an internal reading of 160 degrees F. Let the meatloaf rest a few minutes before slicing.

I made a 3-pound meatloaf, so wed have plenty of leftovers for sandwiches. You can adjust the size to suit your family, of course. The rule of thumb is to cook meatloaf 30 minutes for every pound of meat. Use a meat thermometer to make sure its fully cooked.

When I sliced into this meatloaf, the cheese started oozing out, and I knew it was going to be good. There was absolutely no conversation at dinner, because everyone was too busy eating a sure sign everyone loved it!