Dutch Oven Meatloaf

Meatloaf Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 Egg (slightly beaten)
3/4 c. Quick Cooking Oatmeal
1 tbsp. Dried Minced Onion


Sauce Ingredients:
15-16 oz. Tomato Sauce (1 medium can)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
4 tsp. Prepared Mustard
3 slices raw Bacon


Steps:
Place ground beef and oatmeal in a bowl and mix together until all oatmeal is incorporated.
Add onion and mix again. Set aside for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile: In a separate bowl, mix tomato sauce, brown sugar and mustard until color is even. (If preparing ahead, store meat mixture and sauce separately until ready to cook.)


Break egg and pour over ground beef and mix together. Add half of sauce to meat and mix thoroughly. (This meatloaf is soft and juicy when unbaked, but firms up when cooked.)


Form meat into loaf about one inch smaller all directions than dish to be cooked in. Place loaf in center of dutch oven liner pan. Pour about a third of the remaining sauce over the meat. Place bacon strips over the sauce. Cover with remaining sauce. (Note: The sauce should coat the loaf, with the extra sauce settling to the bottom of the pan.)


Assemble dutch oven as shown in diagram above. Place coals both on top and bottom of oven. Start with about 8 to 10 coals under the oven and about 15 to 20 on the top of the oven. (If cooking indoors, merely place liner pan in oven.)
Bake in dutch oven for one hour at 350F. If making multiple recipes, increase cooking time. The best way to tell when the loaf is finished is by texture and temperature, as the meat will retain a slight red tinge from the sauce even when cooked. Please check temperature in the middle with a thermometer


Note: One recipe supposedly makes 4-6 servings. However, I recommend making two recipes at a time to allow leftovers for sandwiches. Two recipes make enough to feed 3-4 people 2 meals each.