alpharaposa | Adventures in Cooking: London porter meatloaf

Hubby wanted meatloaf, so we came up with a recipe that doesn't use ketchup (since I'm still not on speaking terms with tomatoes).

2 lbs 80% ground beef
1 egg
1 carrot, shredded
1 bell pepper (orange), small dice
2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
4 whole wheat rolls, chopped small (baked myself earlier!)
1/2 bottle (about 5.5 oz) Fuller's London Porter
Pinch salt
Modest palmful ground pepper
Modest palmful crushed rosemary
5 strips low sodium bacon

We were going to add in some garlic, but forgot! Will have to add that next time.

Combine all the ingredients except the bacon in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Butter well a large loaf pan and pack firmly inside. Cut bacon strips in half and layer over top. Bake in 350 degree oven for about an hour, pausing halfway to drain extra fat. When the meatloaf is about 165-170 degrees internal temp, remove and drain any extra fat, then let rest 5-10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

If you're not watching your salt the way I am, you could probably add more than just a pinch and use some regular bacon for a fuller flavor, but I have no complaints about how this turned out! It was delicious and I plan to eat more of it this week!