(serves 6)

Accompany this extremely tasty meat loaf with what else but mashed potatoes, and broccoli or beans. Hopefully there will be leftover meat loaf for sandwiches.

INGREDIENTS
600g minced beef, topside, rump or chuck
400g pure pork sausage meat
1 + 1/2 cup peeled and grated carrot
1 cup peeled and grated apple
2 eggs, lightly beaten
30ml olive oil
200g onions, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
125ml Old Fashioned Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
30ml Thai sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme leaves
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 rindless bacon rashers

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180ºC.

In a large bowl place minced beef, sausage meat, carrot, apple and eggs and combine.

In a small fry pan over a medium heat place oil and heat. Add onion and cook until onion is soft and transparent but not browned. Add garlic and cook a further 1 minute, or until onion is soft but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.

Add onion mixture to meat mixture. Add half the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chilli sauce, parsley and thyme. Add salt and pepper to suit your taste and mix well. Cook a tiny ball of mixture in the microwave to taste for seasoning.

Push mixture into 26cm x 8cm loaf tin and smooth the top down with cold wet hands. Pour remaining 1/4 cup tomato sauce over mixture and spread to cover. Cut bacon into lengths same width as loaf tin and lay width ways, slightly overlapping, along the top of the tomato sauce.

Place in oven and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and rest covered with a clean tea towel for 10-15 minutes. If you wish pour off any fat juices from loaf pan.

When ready to serve tip meat loaf out of loaf tin and slice to serve. A serrated edged knife will make cutting through the bacon easier. Serve hot, warm or cold.