Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is moist and juicy on the inside, and crunchy on the outside. A homemade comfort food, that is easy to make, cheesy, and super flavorful. 

We love bacon, and every time we get the occasion, we try to incorporate it in our recipes. Our favorite ones are Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Brown Sugar and Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Drumsticks.

The Best Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Recipe

This Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf will quickly become your family’s favorite meal. Just like the classic meatloaf recipe, this one is moist, flavorful, affordable, and can feed a larger crowd. Easily one of the best homemade comfort food. While the bacon definitely gives this meatloaf recipe an extra bit of smokey flavor, it also adds to the tenderness of this meatloaf.

Baked to crispy perfection on the outside, and is super tender and juicy on the inside. This is the mother of all comfort foods! And if you are a bacon lover, this is the perfect combo. It is easy enough for a family weeknight meal or perfect for guests.

The garlic adds so much flavor, and the cheddar cheese makes it perfectly moist. This delicious homemade recipe can be an easy dinner, as it requires few ingredients. Similarly, the leftovers are delicious, and can easily be reheated.

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How to make Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf?

This is one of the easiest comfort-food recipes out there. Below are the quick steps to make it. Also, feel free to watch the recipe short video tutorial.

1. Preheat the oven: While you assemble the dish, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Make the meatloaf: In ad bowl, add the meat mixture: ground beef, milk, egg, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, dried parsley, thyme, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Then, mix the ingredients but do not overmix the ingredients. Next, add in the cheese and combine it with your hands with the rest of the mixture. 
3. Bacon wrap: Form the meat mixture into the shape of a log over the bacon. Then, arrange the bacon strips on top of an aluminum foil (shown in the video attached). Next, place the meatloaf over the bacon strips, and fold the foil and fil the loaf over, so it is fully wrapped. 
4. Make the glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients and set aside. 
5. Bake: Put the baking dish in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes.
6. Glaze it: During the mid-way baking time, remove the loaf from the oven and brush with glaze all over it. 
7. Rest and serve: Allow it to rest for about 15 minutes after removing from the oven. Then, serve with your favorite side dish. 

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Variations:

This recipe is easily adjustable. Below are some quick tips on how to adapt it:

• Swap the meat: You can easily make this dish with any kind of ground meat. For example, try using ground turkey to make Turkey Meatloaf or even ground chicken in place of ground beef.
• Add other cheese: Similarly, you can use other cheeses here, or a mixture of them. American, mozzarella, Asiago cheese works just as fine. 
• Gluten-free: For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free breadcrumbs. 

Meatloaf Cooking Times and temperatures:

I love cooking a 2lb loaf, at 350 degrees F for about 70-80 minutes. This is the optimal cooking time for juicy and succulent meat. Also, to make sure you have a perfectly cooked meatloaf, we recommend using an instant-read thermometer.

The internal temperature should be 160 degrees F. If the temperature is lower than 160 degrees F, put it back into the oven and back for a few extra minutes.

Why does my meatloaf always fall apart?

WHAT TO SERVE WITH Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf:

Some great suggestions are listed below:

• Mashed Potatoes
• Rice and Bean
• Crispy Roasted Potatoes
• Instant Pot Roasted Potatoes
• Oven Roasted Bok Choy

Can you Freeze leftover bacon wrapped meatloaf?

Cooked leftover meatloaf properly stored will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. To freeze a cooked meatloaf, wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, or place in an airtight container or freezer wrap. It can be frozen for up to 3-4 months.

Bacon Meatloaf Recipe Tips and Notes:

• Use room temperature bacon. This is an important one because when you try to roll cold bacon, it just doesn’t mold that well as the fat is all cold.
• In addition, you can use turkey bacon instead of the regular type.
• Make sure you use longer and thinner bacon slices, that can be wrapped around easily.
• Both the lean and regular ground beef would work well. Just know that using the leaner option will result in a slightly denser meatloaf as it has less fat content.
• Additionally,  you can form the meatloaf up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake.
• Don’t over mix the mixture or it can become tough and dry.
• Similarly, if you want to use a store-bought BBQ sauce to speed up the process, that will work as well.
• Prior to serving, let the meat rest for 15 minutes so that all the juices seep back. Then slice it and serve. 

Tools I used to make this Recipe:

Non-Stick Pan Set – I have this set and I love it, I used the smaller pan for this recipe.

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5 from 19 reviews

Easy Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is moist and juicy on the inside, and crunchy on the outside. Easy to make, full of cheese and flavor, it is also budget friendly. 

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Author: Catalina Castravet Serves: 8 slices
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes Total time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 453.59 lb g  bacon  (room temperature)
• 2 907.18 lbs g  ground beef 
• 1 236.59 cup ml  milk 
• 1 1  egg  (beaten)
• 1 1  small onion  (finely diced)
• 1 1 tablespoon tablespoon  garlic  (minced)
• 1 1 cup cup  bread crumbs 
• 1 1 teaspoon teaspoon  dried parsley 
• 1/2 1/2 teaspoon teaspoon  ground thyme 
• 1/2 1/2 teaspoon teaspoon  ground paprika 
• 1 1 tablespoon tablespoon  Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 113 cup g  cheddar cheese  (shredded)
• 1/8 1/8 teaspoon teaspoon  ground black pepper   (to taste)
• 1/4 1/4 teaspoon teaspoon  Kosher salt 

Meatloaf Glaze:

• 1/3 78.86 cup ml  ketchup 
• 3 3 tablespoons tablespoons  brown sugar 
• 1 1 teaspoon teaspoon  apple cider vinegar 

US Customary Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside.

Make Meatloaf:

1. Combine ground beef, milk, egg, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, dried parsley, thyme, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well with your hands.

2. Add the cheddar cheese and again mix well.

3. Shape the beef mix into a loaf shape and set it aside.

Make a Bacon Weave:

1. Lay half of the bacon strips, one next to each other, vertically across the prepared rimmed baking sheet.

2. Lift up and fold back the ends of every other bacon strip on one side of the baking sheet. Place a bacon slice perpendicular to the horizontal rows of bacon, on top of the bacon strips that where not fold back. Straighten out the folded bacon strips to cover the strip that has just been placed.

3. Lift up and fold back the ends of the horizontal bacon strips that are under the vertical bacon strip to the side of the baking sheet. Place a bacon slice right next to the first vertical bacon strip, directly on top of the bacon strips that you did not fold back. Repeat the process of alternating the vertical and horizontal bacon strips until you reach the other end of the horizontal bacon strips.

Wrap in Bacon:

1. Check and make sure that the loaf shaped meat is the same length as the bacon weave. If needed reshape it.

2. Place the loaf shaped meat in the center of the weave. Wrap in bacon, and flip on the other side, meaning that the bacon ends should be tucked under the meat.

Meatloaf Glaze:

1. Combine all the Glaze ingredients in a bowl until smooth and set aside.

Bake:

1. Transfer the dish into the oven and bake for about 70-90 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the inside temperature is 160F degrees. Mid baking covers the meatloaf in the prepared glaze. Brush it all over the surface.

2. Once the meatloaf is done, let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve with your favorite side dish.

Nutrition information

Calories: 415 Carbohydrates: 13 Protein: 26 Fat: 27 Saturated Fat: 10 Cholesterol: 106 Sodium: 303 Potassium: 426 Fiber: 0 Sugar: 3 Vitamin A: 110 Vitamin C: 1.3 Calcium: 147 Iron: 3.2

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