Food & Wine'S No-Apologies Meatloaf - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I use olive oil, can try half of each)
1 large onion, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
1 large celery rib, finely diced
1 teaspoon thyme
2 lbs lean ground beef, preferably sirloin
1/2 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup ketchup
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons salt (I omit this)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
3 slices bacon, halved crosswise

Preparation

In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onion, green pepper, celery, and thyme. Reduce the heat to low; cook covered, stirring one or twice, until the vegetables are very soft (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F In a large bowl, combine cooked vegetables and beef. Add oats, 1/3 cup ketchup, eggs, salt, and pepper; mix well. Spoon the meat mixture into a large shallow baking dish. Form the meat into a flat loaf about 2 inches high and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Spread the remaining 1/3 cup ketchup over the loaf; arrange the bacon strips on top.
Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour or until it is just cooked through and shows no trace of pink. (A thermometer will register 145\u00b0F in the center of the loaf). Let the meatloaf stand for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
NOTES: For my large family, I double the recipe and increase cooking time to approximately 1-1/2 hours. A dash of Worcestershire sauce or Pick-A-Pepa kicks up the flavor nicely. You can also substitute turkey bacon, or omit the bacon and add a dash of liquid smoke. Using tomato paste on top of the meatloaf instead of ketchup adds a tangy flavor.