Bacon Mushroom Swiss Meatloaf
A meatloaf with finely chopped mushrooms cooked down into the mix, cubes of Swiss folded through, and a bacon lattice over the top. The mushrooms hold moisture and keep the loaf from turning dense.
- Prep30 min
- Cook1 h 15 min
- Total2 h
- Serves8
AI-generated illustration
Contains:dairyeggfishglutenmeat
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the finely chopped cremini mushrooms in the unsalted butter over medium-high heat until they release their water and it evaporates completely, 8 to 10 minutes, then add the diced yellow onion and cook 5 minutes more and stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Cool the mushroom mixture to lukewarm while you soak the panko breadcrumbs in the whole milk for 5 minutes, until they swell into a paste.
- Mix the ground beef with the soaked panko, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, ground black pepper, dried thyme, and the cooled mushrooms using your hands, stopping the moment it is combined; overworking makes a rubbery loaf.
- Fold in the Swiss cheese cubes and shape the mixture into a free-form loaf about 9 by 5 inches (23-by-13-cm) on a foil-lined sheet pan, which browns the sides better than a loaf pan does.
- Lay the bacon slices across the loaf in overlapping diagonals, tucking the ends underneath, and stir the ketchup, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard together for the glaze.
- Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 55 minutes, then brush on the glaze and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the bacon is crisp and a thermometer in the center reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
- Rest the loaf 15 minutes before slicing, or the melted cheese pockets will run out.
Notes
- Ground beef must reach 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), unlike whole cuts; there is no shortcut on this one.
- Cooking the mushrooms dry first is what prevents a soggy loaf.
