Chilling ground beef and pork between steps prevents the fat from melting and creating a dense meat loaf. I love the addition of Cajun rice dressing mix that is found online at
Cajungrocer.com, or you can make your own with my
dirty rice recipe here (and just omit the rice part). That said, the dressing mix is an optional ingredient that will add flavor but is not mandatory for a tasty outcome. I find that thick-cut bacon weaves easier and holds up better (less shrinkage) during the long cooking time in the oven. While you can just lay the bacon over the meat loaf, I hope you’ll try the bacon weave trick, and
this simple video tutorial makes it easy.