Cheeseburger meatloaf with bacon will be your new family comfort food.
Bacon cheeseburger meatloaf is loaded with smoky bacon, cheese, and brushed with tangy BBQ sauce, and then baked to tasty perfection.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Bacon cheeseburger meatloaf is rich, savory, and bursting with smoky bacon and creamy cheese flavor.
- Difficulty: Mix, add cheese, bake, and brush on the topping.
- Time-Saving Tip: Meatloaf freezes beautifully, so it’s perfect for meal prep and batch cooking.
- Serving suggestions: This crowd-friendly recipe only needs a simple macaroni salad to round out the meal.
Meat the Ingredients
Meat: Lean ground beef (90/10) works best in this recipe because it will hold the other ingredients together better and won’t shrink the way fattier meatloaves often do.
Bacon: Precook the bacon so it’s not overly greasy, or use bacon bits.
Cheese: Processed cheese like Velveeta melts easily and evenly, but you can use any sliced or shredded cheese that’s available.
Onions: Fried onions stay crispy in the meatloaf mix, but you can use plain chopped yellow onions or onion powder.
Toppings: Ketchup mixed with brown sugar glazes onto the meatloaf and adds tangy sweetness. You can also use BBQ sauce or even a zesty homemade chili sauce to kick the flavor up a notch!
Meaty Mix-Ups & Tasty Twists: Chopped dill or sweet pickles add to the full burger flavor experience. Flavored potato chips like BBQ or Sea Salt and Vinegar add crunch and a burst of fun flavor to every bite.
How to Make Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
- Cook and chop bacon (full recipe below).
- Combine all the ingredients except for the cheese and glaze.
- Layer the meat and the cheese.
- Bake and brush with glaze.
Meatloaf Lessons
- Avoid overmixing the meat mixture, or it will become dense and tough once it bakes.
- A meat thermometer is the best way to ensure proteins are neither undercooked nor overcooked.
Leftover Meatloaf Love
Leftover bacon cheeseburger meatloaf can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Slice and serve cold in a hearty meatloaf sammie, or reheat slices in the microwave, on the stovetop, or wrapped in foil in the oven. Use leftovers in a bacon cheeseburger casserole or a zesty dip.
More Ground Beef Greats
Did you enjoy this Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf? Leave a comment and rating below.
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- ⅓ cup fried onions or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 8 slices precooked bacon or real bacon bits
- 4 ounces processed cheese loaf such as Velveeta, sliced ½-inch thick
- ¼ cup ketchup
- pickles as garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil (for easy clean up)
- Chop up cooked bacon slices.
- In a large bowl gently combine ground beef, bread crumbs, milk, egg, mustard, barbecue sauce, fried onions, and half of the cooked bacon.
- Form half of the meat mixture into an 8×4-inch rectangle on the baking pan. Lay cheese slices in the center of the rectangle. Top with remaining meat mixture, ensuring cheese is fully sealed inside.
- Bake uncovered for 50 minutes. Brush the top with ketchup, sprinkle with remaining bacon, and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the inside reaches 165℉
- Let rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Add pickles as garnished (optional).
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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REPIN this Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Recipe
I used oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs and added peppers in place of pickles. Yummy
Happy to hear you love this meatloaf recipe Amy!
THIS is ONLY 4 servings!?!?!? THAT’S 2 POUNDS OF BEEF!!! So each slice would be 1/2 a pound!?!? That’s a little unrealistic, don’t ya think???
You could serve smaller portions if you prefer Kiki 🙂
Any chance of getting a print friendly version of this? Thanks for sharing.
This sounds wonderful, but what about all the grease from the ground beef (and the bacon)…isn’t the meat swimming in it in the square pan?
My son tried this recipe and raves that it is the best meatloaf he ever made!!!
Must try, wonder if it works with sargento cheese cuz I hate velveeta…….