Try this Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf if you want to make a truly special dinner for your family! It’s wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cheese for the ultimate homemade comfort food.
I don’t know about you, but a homemade meatloaf stuffed with mozzarella cheese and wrapped in bacon… Sounds pretty legendary!
It may not score big on pretty looks but it sure delivers the most amazing flavors you could hope for. Instead of using ketchup on it, I smother it in BBQ sauce because you know what, it’s just better that way.
I adapted this from The Pioneer Woman, because if there ever was a lady who knows her comfort food, it would most definitely be her!
My tips for the best meatloaf
Recipes like this one can be tricky to translate into all kinds of different kitchen situations of people all over the world.
I genuinely think it’s a great recipe though (with lots of great reviews!), so to make sure yours turns out perfectly, here are some tips:
Why is my meatloaf falling apart?
The meat mix for meatloaf is kind of like a dough: It needs to be kneaded a little to stick together.
This helps the proteins in the meat stick together and make a firmer shape. It also prevents your meatloaf from turning out crumbly.
I usually do this with the hook attachment of my hand mixer, because who’s got the passion to knead a meat dough?! 😉 The mixer does a quick and nearly mess-free job of combining the meat with seasoning, egg and breadcrumbs. So easy!
Use the correct baking pan
If you’re baking the meatloaf in a pan, make sure you’re using a metal loaf pan, one like this you can get on Amazon (FYI, this is an affiliate link and I make a commission for purchases made through this link), not a ceramic one.
Metal pans have thinner walls and the heat spreads differently. I used a metal baking pan, so I strongly recommend doing the same for this recipe.
I have successfully made this meatloaf without a pan at all though, so if you don’t want to deal with draining meat juices out of a loaf pan after baking, you can just lay out the bacon on a baking sheet, shape the meatloaf on top and stuff it with cheese, then criss-cross the bacon all around and over the top.
What cheese is good for putting inside this mozzarella stuffed bacon wrapped meatloaf?
I used mozzarella here because it’s quite mild and I have small kids.
But for more sharpness/flavor, you could also use a nice cheddar.
I guess pretty much any cheese that melts well and you like the taste of works, to be honest.
How can you tell your meatloaf is done?
First of all, make sure your oven is set to the right temperature (and check with an oven thermometer to make sure it’s as hot as it says!).
Then, the pretty much only way to tell meatloaf is done (since you can’t really cut into it to check)? Is with an instant read thermometer (FYI, this is an affiliate link and I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through).
Get one! It’s so handy.
How do you keep meatloaf from drying out?
I use this super secret method to keep my meatloaf from drying out… Well, it’s not actually that secret:
I smother the meatloaf in sauce before baking, during baking AND right after baking.
Oh and P.S: My Homemade Meatloaf Sauce is pretty delicious if you don’ want to use barbecue sauce.
If you feel your meatloaf still dries out during baking, you can loosely cover it with aluminum foil, but I’ve never found this to be necessary.
Serving ideas
We love our meatloaf with a side of mac and cheese or mashed potatoes and green beans! Roasted broccoli (or air fryer broccoli), roasted asparagus (or… you guessed it, air fried asparagus) or roasted carrots/glazed carrots/crockpot carrots are super delicious.
Leftovers are delicious in a sandwich with a side of coleslaw – so yummy!
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped green pepper optional, but delicious
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley to taste
- ¼ teaspoon dried garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
- 9 ounces thin-cut bacon
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese diced
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (convection ovens to 320°F). Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan first with parchment paper and then with ⅔ of the bacon, leaving an overhang. OR line a rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment and lay ⅔ of the bacon on top if you want to bake without a pan.
- Make meat mix: Mix ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, onion, mustard and spices in a large bowl (I use a handheld mixer with the hook attachment to do this).
- Shape meatloaf: Shape a long log with ⅔ of the meat mixture and fit it inside the loaf pan (OR on top of the bacon on the baking sheet, if baking without a loaf pan). Make a crease down the middle and add the mozzarella cheese to it. Cover with the remaining meat mixture. Fold the bacon overhang on top and cover entirely with the remaining ⅓ of bacon. Spread with ⅓ of the barbecue sauce.
- Bake: Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Spread with another ⅓ of the barbecue sauce. Continue baking for another 20 minutes, then spread with the remaining sauce right as it comes out of the oven. Allow the meatloaf to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. If you baked in a loaf pan, VERY CAREFULLY drain it before removing from the pan (depending on your meat/bacon, a lot of juices can accumulate).
Nutrition
More recipe information
More ground beef recipes to try
P.S: Check out our collection of easy dinner recipes with ground beef for more ideas!
Kimberly says
Do you think I could use 1lb ground beef, and 1lb ground sausage for this?
Nora says
I haven’t tried making the meatloaf with sausage meat so unfortunately all I can tell you is to have a go at it and see what happens! The one thing I could imagine is that the meatloaf might fall apart more easily. If you do go for it check the consistency of the meat mixture and add more egg for binding if need be. Also, make sure to really, really knead the mixture well. But I cannot guarantee that it will work out!
Cecilia says
Hi Nora, I just discovered this recipe. It reminds me on a meal I had a long time ago back in Switzerland. It was so delicious, and now I have the recipe for it. Thank you!
Steve says
You should’ve really stated that the oven temp was for a convection oven not a conventional in the recipe because now I have my sides ready for a nice pink meatloaf after an hour of cooking. And suggestions on how much longer I need to cook it now, after its cooked at 320 for an hour and is nowhere near ready? I don’t want to burn it or over cook it please help family is starving.
Nora says
I’m so sorry Steve – your comment landed in my spam folder. Don’t hesitate to shoot me an eMail with urgent matters. Really, the difference between a conventional oven and a convection oven isn’t that much that it would still be raw in the middle after an hour. It either takes a slightly higher temperature (we’re talking a few degrees) or about 10-20 minutes max. longer. It’s much more a matter of which baking dish you’re using, how your oven behaves (I always keep a thermometer in my oven because it takes much longer to preheat than the oven is telling me) and what kind of meat you used. I hope you figured something out!
Marie says
Thanks for sharing. I will be making one tomorrow . I am gonna use a mixture of ground pork and hamburger. I am going to stuff the loaf with cheddar and roasted red peppers. Looking forward to it!
Nora says
Awesome Marie, I hope you’ll enjoy it! Sounds amazing with the cheddar and roasted red peppers!
carol says
We just tried this! Amazing meatloaf! Thanks for the great recipe
Nora says
I’m so glad it was to your liking Carol!
Michelle says
I had the same issue as Katie. It was not cooked thru (pink in center near the mozzarella) and required more time. Perhaps a higher temperature would have helped. I even had to flip the meatloaf over to cook the bacon on the underside.. I might try it again, but the family was not wowed by it.
Nora says
I’m sorry Michelle! I have added a note to the recipe for trouble shooting.
Scott knapp says
I think you may be right about ovens behaving differently, the Bacon didn’t cook for me either, I will ramp up the temp.and cook a little longer next time , while my wife said to pre cook the Bacon, either way we will dial it ,Its too awesome a recipe to give up on.Cant wait to try it again
Nora says
Ovens are tricky little beasts! Are you using a convection oven? If not, definitely try upping the temperature. Was your bacon the thin sliced variety? That’s what I used. Or try a different baking pan – mine was a thin aluminium pan, sometimes that can be tricky too!
kim says
In the long note it says 350 for temperature but the recipe says 320. This may be why it isn’t working for some people. I have cooked mine for the 60min at the 320. After spotting the 350 in the note I turned up my heat. Hope it tastes as good as it smells.
Nora says
You’re right Kim! The recipe is for a convection oven and in the note I put the time for normal ovens! I’ll add a note to the recipe to make sure everyone sees it’s for a convection oven! I hope it turned out for you!
dora carr says
can i make this without parchment paper?
Nora says
You can try but I can’t 100% vouch for it! Sticking probably isn’t an issue as the bacon releases enough fat during the cooking. But maybe you’ll have some issues getting it out of the pan.
Katie says
i followed the recipe exactly and it didn’t cook through at all.
Nora says
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you Katie – lots of people reported good results so I’m afraid I really don’t know what went wrong there! Maybe our ovens behave differently and you simply need to cook it at a higher temperature/for a longer time in your kitchen. So sorry again!
paris says
if the b q sauce is to spicy or to tany i add brown sugar it sweetens it up and it taste great,making this tomorrow ty
Nora says
Great tip! Thanks for sharing – and I hope you like the meatloaf!
Julie says
Hi, i was just wondering if after I take it out after the first 40 minutes and reapply the BBQ sauce, do I cover it again to put it back in for another 20 minutes? thanks so much!! 🙂
Nora says
Hi Julie, the BBQ sauce always goes on top of the bacon – so no need to uncover 🙂
Kathi says
this looks amazing and I am def going to try it… Thank you for the post
Nora says
Thanks Kathi, let us know how you like it 🙂
Branden Saucier says
So good! My wife usually does all the cooking, but I saw this and it motivated me to try it. Thank you so much for this, for now I can say I have a meal worth making. lol 🙂
Nora says
Haha Branden, that’s so great to hear!
JESSICA says
Do you precook the bacon?
Nora says
Hi Jessica! No, the bacon doesn’t need to be precooked, it will cook just fine around the meatloaf!
Mark says
It’s so beautiful, I was blinded! I had to make this, and it was glorious! I can die happy now, for I have tasted heaven.
Nora says
Mark – I truly am beyond happy to hear this. Thank you so much for trying this recipe, it means a lot to me!
CAROL says
CANNOT WAIT TO MAKE THIS ONLY I WILL USE SOME MARINARA OR OTHER SAUCE, NOT A FAN OF BBQ SAUCES
Nora says
Great idea with the marinara sauce Carol!
Karyl. Beveridge says
It looks delicious but somehow your instructions are not all there
Left out the other 1/3 of meat and bacon on top. What to do with overhang on bottom
Nora says
Thanks for letting me know Karyl! Fixed that in the instructions!
Karyl. Beveridge says
Thank you Nora. Making meat loaf this weekend. Mouth is watering!!
Nora says
Hope you’ll like it 🙂
Mary Anne says
It looks like you may have lined the loaf pan with parchment paper. Is this the case?
Nora says
Mary Anne, you are right! I completely forgot to put this into the instructions! It’s not absolutely necessary as the bacon will prevent the meatloaf from sticking to the pan but it makes lifting the whole meatloaf out so much easier! Thank you for pointing it out – I will add it to the instructions immediately! Have a lovely week!
Aida says
Hey Nora! That first photo made me one to reach in and grab the meatloaf through the screen. Great blog and great recipe, thank you for sharing!
Nora says
Thank you Aida! I hope they invent 3D screens soon 🙂
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
You had me at “bacon-wrapped”… No seriously, this looks AMAZING! That cheese. Yum. Your photos are gorgeous too!
Nora says
Thank you so much Jess! Haha, bacon is always a winner 😀
Liz @ Tip Top Shape says
I feel like this is the Ron Swanson of meat loafs, lol. If you do not watch Parks and Rec that reference will make no sense. Which means you should start watching that show immediately. Anyhoo, this looks delicious!!!!
Nora says
Noooo, don’t know the show! And I’ve had my TV on for about 45 minutes the past week, haha! Thank you Liz!
Rachel @ Bakerita says
Okay, you cannot apologize for not being able to make meatloaf look good and then show me pictures of cheese oozing out of meatloaf. It looks SO good! I absolutely need to try this as soon as possible. Pinned!!
Nora says
Haha, sorry 😉 Thank you so much Rachel! And thanks for pinning 🙂
Cheri says
I always add 1/3 of ground pork to my meat for meatloaf. Will this be too greasy with it then wrapped in bacon?
Nora says
Hi Cheri, I think it will depend on the kind of beef you’re using. If it’s extra lean, I think it would be fine. Otherwise I could imagine it getting too greasy. Hope that helps!
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
Woah. I’m in awe. This meatloaf is larger than life! And you go for getting baby to sleep on her own, Mama!
Nora says
Thank you Sarah! Yes it was huge – thankfully we had my brother-in-law and his fiancée over to finish it off 😉
Yes, it was a huge step for both of us but she’s doing so well – last night she slept 6 hours without waking up in complete starvation mode 😀
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert says
This is one gorgeous meatloaf! I’m completely in love with that cheesy filling and all of that bacon on top. Pinning!
Nora says
Thank you so much Jen! And thanks for pinning 🙂
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
ok, I for one am SO glad that you did post this!!! That cheese in a meatloaf!! and there’s bacon!!! Nuff said yo! This might not win any beauty contest awards but I think this is freaking fabulous!!! Hearty “meat” food is never pretty but you don’t want it to be! LOVE this!
Nora says
Thank you so much Alice, I’m glad we’re not comparing hearty food with dainty cupcakes in the looks department 🙂