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Looking for a new tasty meatloaf recipe that everyone can agree on? Try this Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf, and you won’t have any complaints about dinner tonight! It’s got the classic flavors of a cheeseburger all wrapped up and roasted together. Seriously your bacon cheeseburger-loving folks need this in their lives.
My bacon cheeseburger meatloaf recipe is full of lean ground beef, real bacon, fried onions, and cheddar cheese all mixed into an extra-large meatloaf. Then it’s glazed when it’s almost done in the oven. After resting this ultimate comfort food full of the flavor of a bacon burger with gooey melted cheddar cheese is ready to feed a crowd.
Meatloaf That’s Perfect for company!
This recipe takes the best parts of a cheeseburger and elevates them to a fork-and-knife meal. You can serve this to guests, or a house full of teenagers, and no one will complain. Serve with these Cheesy Bacon Scalloped Potatoes and the Cheddar Biscuits your homestyle dinner party is complete!
Want to meal prep?
Meatloaf is your best bet! It always tastes best the following day, like so many things, so why not make this loaf with extras in mind? Either for lunches or for a super easy weeknight meal of meatloaf sandwiches later on in the week.
What do you need to make a Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf??
- dill pickle relish or run a few dill pickles through the food processor
- lean ground beef or ground chuck
- french fried onions or onion powder (but fried onions taste better!)
- eggs
- panko bread crumbs
- garlic powder
- smoke flavor
- Worcestershire sauce
- sharp cheddar cheese
- bacon slices
- maple syrup or brown sugar
- ketchup
- sriracha *optional*
- 9×13 baking dish or extra large loaf pan
- large bowl
- small bowl
- meat thermometer
Change up this recipe
You can change so many things in this recipe. Use ground chuck, or ground turkey in place of the ground beef, lean ground turkey is going to make a loose light loaf, but it will work. Switch the cheddar cheese out for another cheese like Monterey jack, pepper jack, swiss cheese, mozzarella cheese, or provolone.
Fried crispy onions can be omitted and onion powder swapped in, just use less of it. Got a good meatloaf glaze?? USE IT! Don’t have slices of bacon?? Add a couple of big spoonfuls of real bacon bits to the mix and don’t worry about topping the meatloaf with bacon.
Be sure to use a large bowl!
To mix up a light meatloaf be sure to use a large enough bowl to hold the ingredients AND combine the meat mixture comfortably. You don’t want to make a meat loaf that isn’t mixed well because you used a smaller bowl. And you need a big bowl to mix it all in and not be smushing it down in the bowl and making a hard lump of meat. Meatloaf and burgers need to be finessed and not squashed.
Go LEAN!
Do use extremely lean ground beef for this recipe. It does make a difference because you’re adding in cheese and topping it with bacon you need the lean meat to keep the loaf together.
Use a Good Meat Thermometer!
You’ll know your loaf is cooked through when the meat thermometer reads 160°. Whether you’re using a loaf pan OR a baking sheet or a 9×13 pan, you should take the internal temperature in the center of the loaf. Using a digital thermometer means you’re not guessing if you use a different size pan or free-form loaf.
Got leftovers?
Then you’re in luck!! Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. There isn’t anything more delicious than a meatloaf sandwich except for maybe Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf and this meatloaf is big enough to give you ample leftovers.
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Ingredients
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
- 1/2 cup dill pickle relish or run a few pickles through the food processor
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup crispy fried onions sub in 2 TBSP onion flakes or 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 TBSP worcesertershire
- 1 tsp smoke flavor
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar small dice
- 16 slices bacon uncooked, divided
Glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup use any kind you like
- 1 TBSP maple syrup or equal amount brown sugar
- 1 tsp srirach optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚
- drain most of the liquid out of the pickle relish
- to a bowl add the pickle relish, ground beef, fried onions, eggs, bread crumbs, and smoke flavor and worcesetershire sauce
- mix lightly
- use scissors to snip 6 bacon strips into pieces and gently mix them into the meatloaf
- gently mix in the cheese cubes
- form into a loaf and place in a 9×13 pan or a baking sheet, line with aluminum foil if you're worried about the mess
- top with the remaining bacon slices
- bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked to 160˚ on a meat thermometor
- mix the ketchup and maple syrup ans sriracha if using together, brush over meatloaf
- brush with the glaze bake 5-10 more minutes
Notes
- you can use brown sugar instead of the maple syrup
OH YUM! Meatloaf is my favorite, favorite comfort food – but this looks over-the-top delicious!
This is by far the best meatloaf I’ve ever made. The 2 adult men I served it to devoured it…no leftovers I used 1.25 lbs hamburger and .75 ground sausage and added a couple chopped green onions.