RECIPE

   Do you have a recipe named after a family member you've never met? My husband's grandmother explained to me how Uncle Bud would make the best meatloaf. "It has layers and layers, and it's so good because the bacon drips down and flavors everything." So this left me with so many questions:

1.) Bacon? on meatloaf?
2.) How do you produce layers with a meatloaf?
3.) And who the hell is uncle Bud?

   So I got Grandmom talking, and she explained the whole recipe. It is fattening, and a little bit of a pain rolling the layers. But I will promise you, it's going to be one of the best meatloaves you've ever had. Also, I still don't know who Uncle Bud is and I've been married into this family for 13 years now, soooo....

For the recipe:
Small roasting pan preferably with a rack
Aluminum foil lined parchment paper (it's a combo product)
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion
1/2 cup shredded and chopped carrots
1/4 cup mushrooms
1 tablespoonful dry steak seasoning mix
1 tablespoonful paprika
1 teaspoonful salt
2 teaspoonfuls black pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 box stuffing mix (this comes in different flavors I use chicken, but do whatever)
1 egg
1/2 lb bacon

Preheat oven 425 degrees.
Finely dice pepper, onion, carrots, and mushrooms. In a saute` pan, preheat olive oil on medium high heat, then add vegetables to pan. Add the salt and pepper so the vegetable can sweat out and soften a bit. After 4 to 7 minutes add the paprika and steak seasoning. Your vegetables should be softened and dark reddish in color, and you should start to smell the smokiness of the paprika. When that happens, shut the heat off and sieve out any juice from the mixture. I know I don't want that hot mixture burning my hands when I have to work with it for the layers so I let it cool down in the strainer a bit. Next, beat 1 egg and fold it into the meat. You don't want to over squeeze the meat, you will break down the fat particles and it will become dry.

Smack it up, flip it, rub it down, OH NO! ~Bell Biv Devoe

Now we can begin the layering process. Start by taking a giant piece of aluminum parchment paper with the wax side facing up. Second, roll out a 6 x 11 rectangular piece of meat. Then, place the veggie mixture down, and the cheese mixture on top of that. Third, start to roll the entire thing up like you're making a jelly roll cake and as you're rolling pat the stuffing on top of the roll. Yes, the stuffing goes around the roll - not inside. I mean, you could put it inside, but it may be mushy. Use the aluminum foil to assist you to help keep it all together by rocking it back and forth and working it, gurl! Then, cut up 1 inch pieces of bacon and put that on top of that jawn.

Hold on...I need a spiked peach tea and a fan! Step back...check out your masterpiece. That roll is just beautiful. It was questionable while you were rolling it. Shit was coming out everywhere. But now look at it...take another sip of that alcohol. You did it! Now, fan yo self!

Now, I like to make a tent with the aluminum foil so it creates steam while the meatloaf is cooking. Place the meat in the tent structure. Bake this in the oven for an hour and 5 minutes and 425 degrees. Let it sit for 15 minutes before cutting into it and serving.