Bacon Wrapped Spinach Stuffed Meatloaf

We are a bunch of busy bees at our house right now. We are getting so very, very close to launching our new meal planning site Real Plans, which is basically going to give our already-awesome meal planning service super powers. You can see a sneak peek of our new logo over on Instagram. I can't tell you more – yet – but I can say that Real Plans is going to absolutely revolutionize meal planning.

My bloke, a.k.a. uber geek is geniusing away to the wee hours of the night while our patient kids find new and creative ways to entertain themselves.

When I'm not helping to bring Real Plans to life, I'm busy finishing our final manuscript of Feed Your Fertility going to print next spring.

And in my free time, I'm testing ah-mazing recipes like this ever-so-ridiculously delicious bacon-wrapped, spinach-stuffed meatloaf.

There's something magical that happens when you tuck spinach (and maybe cheese) inside some grass-fed beef  and wrap it all with thinly sliced bacon. The wrapping traps in all the goodness so you're treated to the most rich, moist, and flavorful meatloaf in the universe.

Best part? My kids LOVE this meatloaf – liver, spinach, and all.

Next year, I'm definitely taking a very. long. vacation. But in the meantime we can all take a mini-break and breathe a sigh of relief as we savor this down-home comfort food.

Bacon-wrapped, spinach-stuffed meatloaf ingredients*

*See note below for paleo and primal options

• 1 pound spinach, frozen or fresh
• 1 cup cream, preferably from grass-fed cows
• 2 cups breadcrumbs (from sourdough or sprouted bread)*
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley
• 3 oz. Parmesan cheese*
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese*
• 1/4 pound liver – get grass-fed beef online
• 1 3/4 pounds ground beef – get grass-fed beef online
• 4 eggs, preferably from pasture-raised hens
• 1 tsp. sea salt – this is my favorite sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 10 slices bacon – get forage-fed pork online

Sauce:

• 1 cup ketchup – try my homemade ketchup from this recipe
• 1 T. rapadura
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• Hot sauce, to taste

*Paleo and Primal Options:

If you're dairy-free, substitute bone broth for cream, omit cheese. Increase spinach to 2 pounds.

If also grain-free, substitute 1 1/4 cups almond flour for 2 cups bread crumbs (no need to soak).

Bacon-wrapped spinach-stuffed meatloaf method

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, soak bread crumbs with cream (or bone broth if DF).
3. If you are using fresh spinach, lightly steam, plunge into an ice bath, and then use your hand to squeeze liquid out of the steamed and cooled greens.
4. Mince garlic and parsley. Grate parmesan and cheddar cheeses, but keep separate.
5. Place liver in food processor with s-blade. Pulverize liver to a paste.
6. Add parmesan, liver, beef, eggs, minced garlic and parsley, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper to the soaked bread crumbs. Combine well with clean hands.
7. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper (about 18 inches) and spread the meat mixture into a layer 1/2 inch thick on the sheet. Sprinkle optional cheddar cheese over the meat, and then top evenly with the drained spinach.
8. Using the parchment paper to help you, start to form a roll, using the  paper to push the meat forward. Once you have it rolled, carefully place your meatloaf in the center of a casserole dish.
9. Wrap the bacon slices over top, tucking them under the sides of each loaf.
10. Mix your sauce ingredients together.
11. Spread a third of the remaining sauce over the top of your meatloaf and spread it to cover the bacon, then bake for 45 minutes. Pull the pan out of the oven and spread another third of the sauce over the top. Return it to the oven for fifteen minutes or so, or until the center of your meatloaf reaches 155-160F with a meat thermometer.
12. Serve with sauce on the side. Mmmmm.

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