Last updated on March 1st, 2018 at 11:26 am
This Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf will become a family favorite for sure! Meatloaf is back and better than ever, full of flavor, some hidden veggies, and wrapped with delicious thick cut bacon!
Is meatloaf still a thing? I mean do people still make a good hearty meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner? I sure hope so, because comfort food doesn’t get any better than this. This bacon wrapped meatloaf will surely please and impress your entire family. Not to mention how easy it really is to make meatloaf and pretty cheap too. I remember my mom used to make meatloaf when we were growing up and sometimes she’d even stuff it with hard boiled eggs. It was a favorite, that’s for sure.
The great thing about meatloaf is that you can hide veggies in there and nobody would really know. I added onions and peppers to this meatloaf but in the past I’ve even added mushrooms and is it ever good because it makes it extra moist so you don’t end up with a dry meatloaf.
But this meatloaf is really all about that thick cut bacon and the yummy BBQ sauce which is to die for because I added bourbon to it. Trust me, it makes it so much better, you won’t want to skip that step. It’s true that meatloaf takes a bit to cook in the oven but if you wanted to you could prepare this the night before, refrigerate it then all you’d have to do when you come home is bake it.
It really is amazing what you get with such simple ingredients as ground pork, some eggs, breadcrumbs and some condiments. Nothing beats homemade, so don’t buy already prepared meatloaf, just buy the ground meat you prefer and add the rest of the ingredients yourself. This way you know what goes in your food and you can season it just the way you like.
Any type of meat would work here, I chose pork because that’s what I had in my freezer and I love pork on pork, but ground beef would work just as well, or you could even mix the two. If you want a healthier meatloaf, then use ground chicken or ground turkey. I’d still wrap it with the bacon, because everything is better with bacon.
As this bakes your house will smell heavenly which is always the best part, well next to eating it actually. I love to serve this meatloaf over some mashed potatoes, or a side of steamed veggies. It’s real good comfort food, good for the soul!
If you loved this recipe, try my Stout Meatballs with BBQ Sauce or Salisbury Steak Meatballs with Gravy!
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
This bacon wrapped meatloaf will become a family favorite for sure! Meatloaf is back and better than ever, full of flavor, some hidden veggies, and wrapped with delicious thick cut bacon!
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt or to preference
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to preference
- 8 slices thick cut bacon
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce or any hot sauce
- 2 tbsp bourbon optional
Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the meatloaf together (except the bacon) and mix well with your hands. You can also saute the chopped onion and pepper first to soften it a bit, but it's not necessary.
Place the meat mixture in the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Cover with bacon slices, tucking in the bacon over the sides.
In a small bowl whisk all the sauce ingredients together. Brush half the sauce over the meatloaf and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Half way through, take the meatloaf out and brush the remaining sauce over it and continue baking.
Let cool for about 10 minutes then cut into slices and serve over mashed potatoes.
You can make this pork-free by using 2lbs of ground beef, chicken, or turkey, and turkey bacon on the outside.
Add any veggies you'd like to load up this meatloaf and clear out your fridge. Mushrooms work fantastic in a recipe like this, as they keep the meatloaf nice and juicy.
Bourbon can be replaced with any type of whiskey, rum, or brandy. Use 1 tsp of vanilla extract if you'd like a non-alcoholic substitute.
To make this gluten free, use 1/3 cup of potato starch, also called potato flour, in place of the breadcrumbs.
If you want to use a pre-made BBQ sauce to speed up the process, that is okay.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe originally shared May 2011.
Do we cover the meatloaf at all?
Nope, I did not cover it at all!
This looks like another great recipe Jo. Only thing I could think of that I might change is laying the full strips of bacon in the pan, and leave the excess out before I put the meat in it, then overlay the excess bacon on top of the meatloaf. That only means more bacon per slice, and who doesn’t want more bacon, right? Thanks for sharing.
You’re right, the more bacon the better!
This was a big hit with the meat eaters in our family tonight. The only divergence from your recipe was that I used almond milk, as we have a lactose intolerant family member. It made way too much to fit into even my largest loaf pan, so next time I will use less meat. Thanks for a great recipe!
My pleasure, glad you liked it!
Another winner Jo!! Made this for dinner tonight, OMG. Why haven’t I put bacon on meatloaf before?? ?
I know, right? So good!
Lovely! This looks like such a cozy dinner. I have been craving meatloaf lately, but I always revert to the old Lipton recipe. Yours looks to die for!
Honestly I wanted to reach through the screen and grab a slice of this meatloaf – LOVE the bacon wrap!
This ALL PORK meatloaf WITH BACON too looks delicious, Jo and I can’t wait to try it. I have done a bacon topping by weaving the bacon as you do for a lattice pie crust so may use that technique on this one. Yum!