It really is hard to beat a good old-fashioned cheeseburger, but sometimes we don’t want the hassle of firing up the grill or hand forming several individual patties. That’s where this burger-meatloaf-hybrid comes in handy! The trick to a moist and tender meatloaf is to not overwork the ground beef mixture – it also helps that we stuff ours with a hearty amount of cheddar and wrap it in thick strips of bacon, making it juicy and delectable. If you’ve got a group to feed (or just a really hungry family like ours) you’ll love how effortless it is to get all that delightful bacon cheeseburger flavor in one easy recipe!
Bacon Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf
1 hour 30 minutes to prepare serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 10-15 slices bacon
- 1 cup mild or sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup Panko or seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup ketchup, divided
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon worchestire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Add ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, ¼ cup ketchup, worcestershire sauce, steak seasoning, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper to a large bowl.
- Combine ingredients by hand until just incorporated - do not overmix!
- Lightly pack mixture into a ball and transfer to a lightly greased loaf pan, gently pressing meat to form a flat, even loaf.
- With your fingers, dig a trench for cheese down the center of loaf.
- Fill with grated cheddar. Be sure to leave room at the top of the trench, and seal the meat pocket shut.
- In a small bowl mix together remaining ketchup and brown sugar. Drizzle half of mixture over top of meatloaf.
- Lay strips of bacon evenly across entire loaf top, tucking the ends around side of loaf to prevent curling, and top evenly with remaining glaze.
- Bake meatloaf until thoroughly cooked and bacon is crispy, 50-60 minutes.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Slow Roasted Italian