Super Meat Boy Meatloaf

For those of you who don't know what Super Meat Boy is...

Super Meat Boy is a classic platform game that was just released for the Xbox Live Arcade in the fall of 2010 (although it was around long before as a flash game). In the game, you play the role of a skinless square of bloody meat called Meat Boy. Throughout the game, your goal is to save Meat Boy's girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil Dr. Fetus. With each platform, you must make your way through various fatal obstacles of salt, buzz saws, and more in order to stop Dr. Fetus before it is too late.

My husband got this game shortly after it was released for the Xbox, and he played it religiously for the months to follow. I remember watching some of it as I would doze on the couch, exhausted from being in my first trimester. Every now and then I would jump out of my sleepy haze as my husband's gamer tourettes would sound off each time Meat Boy exploded in a disgustingly squishy sound of failure. But as frustrated as the game would make him, he loved it to no end.

Well, in honor of Super Meat Boy, I decided to have a little fun with dinner last night and make a Super Meat Boy Meatloaf! The meatloaf recipe itself takes a little time to prepare, but it's worth it. I particularly like this recipe because, once again, it sneaks in a lot of veggies. Turning the meatloaf into Meat Boy was purely for decoration, so of course you don't have to do that. Unless you're a fellow gamer, then I would gladly invite you to post a picture of your own Meat Boy Meatloaf creation! Otherwise, the basic meatloaf recipe is certainly worth a try!

Super Meat Boy Meatloaf

Ingredients:
2 pound ground pork (or beef)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 carrot, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
1/2 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped spinach
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the glaze:
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup ketchup
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Sriracha (or any kind of hot sauce)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Set the ground pork out at room temperature to warm slightly.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook the carrot, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and spinach in the heated oil until soft; set aside to cool.

Mix together the pork, bread crumbs, eggs, 2 tablespoons ketchup, garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Add the vegetable mixture and continue to mix until evenly combined.

Pack the meat mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray.

Prepare the glaze by whisking together the honey, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Brush the glaze over the meatloaf after it has been cooking for 10 minutes.

Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 45-60 minutes; remove to a serving platter and allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.