I don’t like meatloaf, or meatballs actually. I never cook meatloaf at home, but my husband and daughter both like it, so my mom serves it occasionally when we’re over for dinner. But she also always cooks something else for me. Isn’t she great!

So, I was looking through recipes a while ago and came across this one at Rachael Ray’s site. I thought, if I’m going to ever like any meatloaf, it’s probably this one. All the ingredients sounded good, especially the onions on top.

Mini Meatloaves Smothered with Onions

4 Servings

Prep 15 min

Bake 45 min

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pitted dried dates, chopped
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 1/3 pounds ground beef
  • 3 onions, 2 thinly sliced and 1 finely chopped
  • 3 slices cooked bacon, chopped
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

  1. Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°. In a bowl, combine the dates and breadcrumbs, working the mixture through your fingers to separate. Mix in the beef. Mix in the chopped onion, bacon, egg, worcestershire and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 mounds and, on a baking sheet, shape into loaves. Place on the upper rack and bake for 45 minutes. (Mine baked closer to an hour, because David was running later than I expected.)
  2. Meanwhile, on another baking sheet, toss the sliced onions with the butter and season with salt; spread out evenly. Bake on the lower rack, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 30 minutes. Serve the meatloaves with the onions. (Mine cooked more like 45 minutes, for the same reason as above.)

And I have to say, it was yummy. I ate almost all my mini-loaf. I love onions, and the dates added a bit of sweetness that was delicious. And the general consensus seems to be that you can’t go wrong adding bacon. David loved it too, even said it was better than my mom’s, but I think he might have just been being nice with the comparison in the hopes that I’ll make it again.

Another good thing is that now I have more dates in the fridge waiting for me to eat them.

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