Everything is better with bacon, and this tasty and easy to make chicken bacon chive meatloaf is no exception! If you’ve got a family of four, you should have plenty of left overs for yummy sandwiches the next day.

chicken bacon chive meatloaf

• 1kg Ritchies chicken mince
• 12 long rashers rind less streaky bacon
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large bunch chives, very finely chopped (keep a few whole ones for decoration)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

gravy

• 1½ cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon cornflour

chicken bacon chive meatloaf method

Preheat oven to 180^oC

In a medium frying pan on a medium heat, fry the onion in olive oil until soft and just starting to change colour. Allow to cool slightly. Lightly oil a 12 x 23 x 6cm loaf tin and line it with about 9 of the bacon rashers, leaving the ends hanging over the edge of the tin.

Finely dice the remaining 3 rashers of bacon.

In a large bowl add the cooled cooked onion, chicken mince, chopped bacon, and chives. Season with a generous grind of black pepper plus about 1 teaspoon of salt.

Using your clean hands, mix the ingredients together really well until they form a thick sticky paste.

Transfer the chicken loaf mix to the bacon lined tin and press in firmly. Pull any over hanging bacon rashers over the chicken. Cover with baking paper or foil. Place in a slightly larger oven proof dish and then in the oven. Pour boiling water into the larger dish (about 2-3 cm deep) Bake for about 50 minutes or until the juices run clear when you test the center of the loaf with a knife.

Bake for about 50 minutes or until the juices run clear when you test the center of the loaf with a knife.

Remove the chicken and bacon meat loaf from the oven. Take it out of the larger dish and discard any leftover water. Pour off and keep any meat juices from around the loaf. Run a knife round the edge of the tin and carefully turn it out on the larger dish so the bacon side is up. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes to brown the bacon.

In a small bowl mix together 1 tablespoon of corn flour with 2 tablespoons cold chicken stock. Place the remaining chicken stock with any meat juices you reserved in a small pan and bring to the boil. Add the cornflour and stock. Mix and simmer till the gravy has thickened. Season to taste.

Remove the browned chicken, bacon and chive loaf from the oven. Cut into thick slices and serve decorated with a  few spears of chives with the gravy, mashed potato, and your favorite greens.

Serves: 6. Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes.