DARK DAYS CHALLENGE WEEK 4

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ok, here we go week 4!  I'm havin' too much fun with this!

BISON & BACON MEATLOAF WITH BAKED SWEET POTATOES, LEEKS & CARROTS

Came up with this one when I thought, "Geez, what else could I put in the meatloaf?  BACON!!!"  Everything is better with bacon. : )

Gather your ingredients:

1 lb ground Bison (Shephard Buffalo Farm, Mazzepa, MN)

a few strips of bacon (Freeman Farm, Mazeppa, MN)

1 cup breadcrumbs (from my own bread)

1 egg (from my chickens)

1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce (not from around here)

1/4 cup chopped onion (Thoreson Farms)

2 Tbs Italian Seasoning (not from around here) 

Take the bacon and chopped onion and fry it up in a pan.  (and never, ever let you forget your a maaannnn - oh sorry!  having old, bad commercial flashbacks)

Don't tell my daughter Madison I added onion!

Next, place all the ingredients in a bowl.  Admire the beauty of raw meat, mingling and getting to intimately know the other ingredients.

Now mix, with your hands only.  Because the feel of raw meat squishing through your fingers is just something everyone should experience.  I owe this thought to my mom who would only mix her meatloaf with her hands, never with a spoon, now I am convinced there is no other way.

Butter a loaf pan. I prefer to use a plastic bag so I don't get butter all over my hands ; ):

Place the thoroughly mixed ingredients into a pan and shape into a loaf:

Why?  I don't know why it has to be shaped that way, it just does.

Next cover with foil to keep all the moisture since Bison is not that fatty (hence the idea of adding bacon for more flavor).  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

my oven looks better in black and white, doesn't it?

 Then clean up a few sweet potatoes  (Whitewater Gardens, Altura MN) and place them in the oven as well:

Then get out the leeks and the carrots (Merrill's MerriBees, Chatfield, MN and Whitewater Gardens) and arrange them in a pretty way on your cutting board:

Clean up the carrots and place in a frying pan with some butter:

Sautee and while they are cooking, chop the leeks.  When the carrots are about half way cooked, add the chopped leeks:

When the 45 minutes is up, remove foil from meatloaf and broil until brown.

Place all your food on a plate and admire all your easy work.  Because really  - prep time 20 minutes, cook time one hour, having a complete SOLE meal: priceless!