Meatloaf Topped with Bacon and Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 pounds ground pork
• 12 eggs
• 2 cups plain bread crumbs
• 1 ounce olive oil
• 3 ounces celery, chopped
• 2 ounces red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 ounces shiitake mushrooms, chopped
• 3 ounces button mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 12 slices bacon
• Mozzarella cheese slices

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, beef, pork, eggs and breadcrumbs and fold ingredients until evenly combined.

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and heat. Add the celery, peppers and mushrooms and saute until translucent. Remove from heat and allow to completely cool. Once cooled, add to meat mixture along with garlic powder, cumin and salt and pepper, to taste, and combine.

Place meat mixture into large loaf pan.

In another small bowl, combine the ketchup, soy sauce and brown sugar and smooth and slather onto meat mixture, reserving some for basting. Top with bacon slices, place into preheated oven and cook for about 1 hour or until the meatloaf registers 180 degrees F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the center.

Once the meatloaf is at 180 degrees F, remove from the oven, top with extra sauce and cheese slices and place back into oven just until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven, cut and serve.

Cook's Note: If the sauce and bacon on the top starts to get too brown, cover the loaf pan with a piece of aluminum foil.

This recipe was provided by a finalist, who may or may not be a professional cook, for The Next Food Network Star. Food Network has not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.