Homestyle Meatloaf with Macaroni and Cheese

Saturday is always a good day for making comfort food and even though the weather is getting better I was in the mood for an old fashioned meat loaf and macaroni and cheese.  However, when I went to the grocery store yesterday afternoon,  there on display in the middle of the produce aisle was an enourmous flat of fresh locally grown asparagus.  Despite the fact that I do not like asparagus, I could not resist adding a bag full to my shopping cart.  Not knowing exactly how to incorporate the asparagus into my meal, I decided I would try adding it to the macaroni and cheese because I was pretty confident that, at least, the deliciously cheesy sauce would mask any indentifiable asparagus flavor.  It actually turned out to be delicious and a great way to hide some vegetables from your kids or other picky eaters in your house!

The most flavorful meatloaf is a combination of ground pork and beef, which is what I used.  I made a little mini meatloaf, so I just needed about 3/4 of a pound of each.  To the ground meats I added sauteed and cooled chopped onion, chopped red pepper, a chopped clove of garlic and about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.  Then I incorporated 1 egg, a few shakes of Worchestershire sauce, and 1/4 cup of fresh bread crumbs.  After mixing the ingredients until combined but not overmixing, I free formed a small loaf and placed it on a parchment lined baking sheet.  For the glaze I brushed the outside of the meatloaf with ketchup, layered on several strips of bacon and sprinkled on some brown sugar.  I baked the meatloaf at 375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.  It came out with a beautiful crispy bacon, brown sugar glazed crust over the top and the interior was moist and delicious!

After cooking the noodles for the macoroni and cheese, according to the directions on the package, and adding the chopped asparagus during the last 3 minutes, I drained them and set them aside while I made the cheese sauce.  In the same saucepan that I cooked pasta, I melted 2 tablespoons of butter and wisked in 2 tablespoons of flour.  After cooking the flour and butter just long enough to cook out the raw flour taste, but not long enough to take on any color, I added 1 cup of milk and wisked, vigorously.   Bring the milk to a simmer and cook until thickened, then and add a pinch of nutmeg, a tablespoon of mustard and a few shakes of hot sauce.  Remove the milk from the heat and add 1/2 cup of cheddar and 1/2 cup of gruyere and combine until smooth.  Combine the cheese sauce with the pasta and asparagus and pour into a baking dish.  Top with bread crumbs and some grated parmesan cheese and place under the broiler until the top is brown and crusty and the cheese is bubbly.  Let sit for a few minutes before enjoying!