Fire Station Meatloaf

Time :2 20

Yield :16 servings

Recipe Background

Whether you're about to fight fires, give that presentation, or simply give it your all, you need a hearty meal that will get you ready! Fire Station Meatloaf, inspired by a popular firehouse meal, is loaded with crispy bacon, juicy beef, and crunchy nuts to ensure you have everything you need to blaze through your day! It even has melty cheese baked into the loaf and a touch of heat to really get you fired up. Fire Station Meatloaf is amazing when served next to mashed potatoes or hearty greens to make it extra satisfying.

Ingredients

1 pound bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
2 onions chopped
5 pounds ground beef
5 pounds spicy ground pork sausage
3 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach thawed, drained and squeezed dry
3 (4-ounce) cans sliced black olives drained
3 cups pistachio nuts chopped
1 1/2 cups ketchup divided
3 eggs
1 (1.25-ounce) packet meatloaf seasoning mix
1 pound pepper jack cheese cubed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the bacon pieces in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon pieces are crisp and the onions are transparent, for about 6-8 minutes.
Drain off the excess grease and set the onion mixture aside to cool.
In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, the ground pork, the cooled onion mixture, the spinach, the olives, the pistachios, 1 cup of the ketchup, the eggs, and the meatloaf seasoning until well-blended.
Pat the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place it in a large baking pan, such as a roasting pan.
Insert the pepper jack cubes into the top of the meatloaf so they are completely covered.
Brush the top of the loaf with the remaining ketchup.
Bake until the internal temperature of the loaf reaches 180 degrees F, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Let it rest for 5 minutes and serve!