Smoked Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
This Smoked Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf is next level good!! The meatloaf recipe on its own is delicious, but smoking it on a Big Green Egg or Traeger Grill takes it over the top! My husband EJ is the grill master in our family and is constantly dreaming up new things to cook on his arsenal of grills. When he first suggested cooking a meatloaf on the Egg, I honestly though he was crazy. Now, after witnessing how easy it was and tasting the smoky, juicy result, I am SOLD!
No sauce is needed while cooking as the meat retains moisture while any excess fat cooks off. Adding cheese and bacon at the end of the cooking time keeps that bacon crispy and the cheese perfectly melted. After it is done, serve with ketchup and mustard, or your favorite barbecue or steak sauce. Or, like me, enjoy Smoked Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf with no condiments as this thing is fabulous without any! Finally, serve up some mashed potatoes or baked sweet potatoes as a side dish with this meatloaf. And my family always enjoys a big green salad!
One last thing. If you don’t have the time to devote to smoking it, no problem. You will still love this Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf recipe simply baked in the oven. Superb!
Smoked Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef or ground chuck
- ½ sweet onion minced
- 5 white mushrooms chopped fine
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
- ¼ cup half and half
- ½ cup cracker crumbs can also use crushed corn flakes or bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- dried parsley to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan when done and drain on paper towels. When cool, crumble and set aside.
- To the skillet with the bacon fat, add onion and mushrooms. Season with a bit of parsley and black pepper and saute until tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Note: If you have a large stand mixer, mixing the meatloaf is a breeze. If not, you can use a large bowl and stir by hand; it's just much easier in the mixer. In the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the beef, egg, and half and half. Combine using a lower level of power. Now add the onion/mushroom mixture, 3/4 cup of cheddar and all but a few tablespoons of the bacon bits. [Reserve the rest of the cheese and bacon bits for the top]. Mix and then add the cracker crumbs and garlic salt — can add in extra black pepper and parsley, if desired. Mix again on low power until everything looks well combined.
- At this point, I dump the meatloaf mixture onto the grill pan that will go on the grill, OR on a nonstick foil lined cookie sheet if I am baking in the oven. Shape the meatloaf (I use my hands with plastic gloves) into one large loaf in an oblong oval/square shape.
For Cooking on Big Green Egg
- Prep and preheat Egg to approximately 235°.Cook meatloaf on Egg for about 2 hours, until interior temperature of meat reaches 160°. After meat reaches temperature, sprinkle with reserved cheese then bacon bits and close lid for a few minutes. When cheese has melted, remove from grill. Place on serving dish and let rest for about 5 minutes.Slice up and serve! Enjoy!
For Cooking in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 350°.Bake for an hour, then check for doneness. Drain any fat from the pan and then sprinkle with reserved cheddar then bacon bits and bake additional 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.Place on serving dish and let rest for about 5 minutes.Slice up and serve! Enjoy!