Looking for that perfect midweek meal to blow the socks off your family, and then scream at them for having such smelly feet? Well, look no further as this smoked bacon cheeseburger meatloaf will have everyone satisfied and asking for seconds. Now this recipe can be cooked in the oven, but trust me, that added delicious smokey flavor and smell will definitely be a warm welcome over your family’s sockless feet! A fun twist on a classic dinner, this meatloaf combines the best of two worlds like a fast food burger making sweet, sexy love to grandma’s home cooked dinner. The kids are happy, the parents are happy, even the pet dog is happy when the mouthwatering aromas of both worlds combine into a single delicious dinner! So stick with me going through this easy to follow recipe and start planning your next family meal.
There are actually a couple of different ways to prepare this bacon cheeseburger meatloaf so in order not to cause a divisive rift in the galaxy over which side is right or wrong plummeting us all into certain chaos, I will be sure to touch upon both variants. It really just comes down to personal preference and how much prep work you want to do or skip, but I prefer putting the bacon in the meat mixture rather than draping it over the top like a last minute change some rookie thinks will make everyone happy. As I like to say, though, you do you and go with whatever makes you happy. Hell, put bacon in the mixture and wrap the whole damn thing in a bacon mat. No one has ever complained about too much bacon in a meal! Anyway, now that we have the politics covered and out of the way, let’s get cooking!
Start by preparing a whole pack of bacon. Yes, you read that right….an entire pack, or about a pound if you are a sweet messiah of flavor and keep bulk bacon on hand like a toilet paper hoarder during COVID lockdowns. Go ahead and cut the strips into 4 or 5 bite size pieces and cook until it begins to brown. You don’t want to fully cook it at this point since it will be smoked or oven-baked later, but straight up raw bacon tends to not get fully cooked so we definitely want to get a little heat into it now and render out some of the excess fat. Set the semi-cooked bacon aside and allow to cool on some paper towels. For everyone not in the know, this is a perfect opportunity to pull out a clean mason jar or container and start your own bacon fat reserves to keep in the refrigerator. It’s an easy way to enhance flavor and a free by-product to use rather than relying on other cooking oils or sprays.
In a small mixing bowl, add the eggs, ketchup, mustard, worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and garlic along with some salt/pepper of course. Stir the mixture until you can correctly pronounce “worcestershire sauce” or the eggs are beaten and all the flavors are well mixed. I will go out on a limb and guess the later for most of you, and yes I am here judging this time! In a separate large bowl or baking pan, spread out the ground beef and pour the egg mixture over the top. Now before you dive in and start mixing everything, use your still clean hands to spread some diced onion, shredded cheese, bread crumbs, and that delicious bacon we prepared earlier over the entire thing. This would be a good time to put on some disposable gloves, but the insane inner psychopath in me just goes in with my hands, and mix everything together until well distributed throughout the mixture. Be careful not to overmix and create mushy mess because we are making meatloaf here and not bologna loaf after all. That nice burger bite mouthfeel from mixing just enough to combine is a game changer! Put this mixture into the refrigerator for about an hour or so to rest and make forming easier. After an hour, go ahead and preheat your oven or smoker. Pull the rested meat mixture from the fridge and form into a loaf shape on a smoker tray or if you are extra special and have every pot/pan/kitchen thing in existence, pack into a meatloaf pan for baking. If you chose to be lazy and not prep any bacon earlier, now would be the time to wrap this bad boy meat log with bacon and admire your handiwork, especially if you choose to make a mat and roll the entire thing. Bonus points!
Place the loaf/pan into the smoker or oven and cook until the internal temperature reaches about 140 degrees F. If smoking, hickory or mesquite wood seems to do the trick but anything you have on hand will work fine. We are not trying to really get a ton of smoke flavor, just enough for that “flame broiled” smokey kiss of flavor. Anyway, back to our bacon cheeseburger meatloaf regularly scheduled programming. Use the remaining ketchup and baste the entire loaf with a good thick coating. If you are a big fan of barbecue burgers, sprinkle a little brown sugar over the top for a bit of extra delight!
Finish cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Pull the meatloaf from the smoker/oven, cover with some aluminum foil (that’s aluminium foil for my friends across the pond that like to add extra unnecessary vowels) and allow to rest for 15 minutes. That’s pretty much it…you have done it, Watson! Slice and serve with some pickles to truly complete that bacon cheeseburger experience.
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