Okay, this is a recipe I found in one of the German cookbooks. (The recipe translates to: Meatloaf with Bacon and a Potato crust) The moment I saw it I knew that I had to make it. I mean really what is not to love about it? It’s meatloaf wrapped in bacon and topped with mashed potatoes.

As is my usual MO we had friends over for dinner the night I made it.

For all the translation that I had to do in my head the recipe was in fact fairly simple. I made the potatoes in advance and reheated them in the microwave just prior to topping the meatloaf. This allowed me to get around having to time everything just right.

Normally I make meatloaf with a bread crumb mixture but this one called for milk soaked slices of a day old baguette. I had never used this method before, but I must say that it worked wonderfully and I was pleased with the cohesion of the meatloaf as well as the amount of moisture it retained. Because the meatloaf was topped with mashed potatoes and I really didn’t need a starchy side to go along with it, I made some French-cut green beans to go along with it. They were a nice compliment to the mustard foam/sauce that I made just before serving.

Hackbraten mit Speck und Karoffelkruste (Meatloaf with bacon and mashed potato topping)

translated from Rezepte, wie wir sie mögen

Potatoes (14oz) boiled soft

Salt

Milk (10 oz)

Half loaf of baguette (roughly 4oz)

4 Tbsp cold butter

Cracked Pepper

Nutmeg

2 Egg Yolks

Grated Parmesan Cheese (2oz)

2 carrots

4 celery stalks

1 medium sized onion

2 garlic cloves

1 bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley

Ground Beef (1 1/4 lb)

2 Eggs

3 Tbsp mustard (recommend a light brown mustard)

Paprika

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Bacon (3.5oz)

2 shallots

small carton of heavy whipping cream

Wash and peel the potatoes, place in slated water and cook for about 30 minutes until soft.

Heat 7oz of milk to low warm. Cut the baguette into thin slices and pour heated milk over the slices.  Let soak for about 15 minutes.

Once potatoes are cooked put through a potato press twice. (If you don’t have a press use a fork to mash them up) Heat the remaining milk with 1 Tbsp of butter.  Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste then fold it into the potatoes. Mix in 1 Tbsp of really cold butter. Finally mix in the Parmesan and the egg yolks. Salt and pepper to taste once more. Set aside.

Wash carrots and celery (peel carrots if needed). Chop both into small pieces. Wash and peel the onion and garlic, chopping them into small pieces as well. Put 2 Tbsp of butter into a pan and heat. Cook onion and garlic until the onion is glassy in appearance (about 5 minutes) Add carrots and celery and saute for another 10 minutes. Lightly salt and put aside to cool down.

Wash and dry the parsley, chopping it coarsely.

Heat the oven to 415 degrees.

Mix the ground beef with the soften baguette, eggs, and cooled vegetables. Add 2 Tbsp of mustard, salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Mix in half of the parsley.

Take a baking dish (20 x 30 cm) and coat with 1 Tbsp of oil.  Lay out the bacon (one slice next to the other so that you can wrap the ends around the meatloaf) Place the meat loaf into the pan forming the loaf then pressing the bacon up against the sides of the loaf.

Peel, wash and dice the shallots placing them around the meatloaf in the pan.

Bake time = 45 minutes.

After the first 15 minutes reduce oven heat to 375 degrees and add 1/2 cup water.

After baking for a total of 45 minutes remove from oven and “artfully” top with mashed potatoes. Add roughly another 1/2 cup of water to the pan and broil roughly 10 minutes until potatoes are golden brown baked (broiling time varies keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn)

Remove meatloaf from pan. Strain the remaining juices into a small pot adding salt and pepper and 1 Tbsp of mustard to taste. Add heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk into a foam. Garnish sauce with the remaining parsley.

Cut meatloaf in 2 cm thick slices and serve with the mustard foam.