Meatloaf Wrapped in Bacon

Want to make something simple but really flavourful for the dinner table tonight? We found this great recipe for Meatloaf Wrapped in Bacon over at the Salad in a Jar website! It's easy to make and so chock-full of yummy good stuff that it's bound to be a hit with the family. We all know that meatloaf has been around for a long time, but did you know it also has a very rich history? It's definitely one of those dishes we often take for granted, but once you start digging into its roots, you can find out all kinds of interesting things about it!

It was the invention of the meat grinder that gives us the meatloaf we all know and love today. Before then, meat had to be hand-ground which was a very gruelling, tedious task! And back in the day, the meat grinder became an everyday kitchen tool that most families had right in their kitchen. Everyone was grinding her own meat, and that's when meatloaf became a very popular meal for most. It was super easy to make after the invention of the meat grinder.

Although the meat grinder made meatloaf a much more common dinner item, the history of meatloaf goes back much farther than that. And there's a form of meatloaf in many different cultures! In the Middle East, they eat something called kibbeh, which is ground beef mixed with bulgur wheat and minced onions. The Romans used to mix wine-soaked bread, pinenuts, and spices into their meatloaf. Germans put entire boiled eggs into theirs! Medieval Europeans added delicious seasonings as well as fruit and nuts. It could be served hot or cold, wrapped in ham � or bacon � as it is in this recipe! Really, the sky has always been the limit for meatloaf � whatever you have in the kitchen at the time could go into your meatloaf recipe for the night!

Some of the ingredients you will need for this meatloaf wrapped in bacon include crushed Ritz crackers, milk, onions, garlic, ground chuck, ground pork or turkey, eggs, prepared cream horseradish, chill sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chopped parsley (this is optional), pricked bacon and ketchup lots of it.

I'am not sure what it is, but in the last few years bacon has become more popular than ever. Now don't get me wrong, people have always loved their bacon, but bacon seems to be popping up in the most unlikely of places, from maple bacon covered donuts, chocolate dipped bacon candy with sea salt, bacon brownies, maple buttercream cupcakes with bacon sprinkles, woven bacon taco shells (have you seen these?), bacon wrapped sushi, apple pie bacon grilled cheese sandwich, maple bacon cookie dough truffles, bacon jam, chocolate almond bacon clusters, and bacon rice krispie treats. I'am sure there are lots of other bacon creations that I'am unaware of, but I'am sure you get the idea, there is not a place that you won't find bacon.