Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Funny story about this recipe. I first made this meatloaf ages ago -- like, more than three years ago, right after we bought our house and were staying with my dad and stepmom while some major renovations were being done on our new money pit. I made it for my parents and Joe one night for dinner, and it was a huge hit with everyone.

Fast-forward to a month or so ago. I’d actually been thinking about making this again for quite some time, but I just hadn’t got around to it yet, when Joe came home and told me that one of his employees had mentioned a bacon cheeseburger meatloaf recipe from Paula Deen that he asked his wife to make for him all the time. “If you made that for me,” Joe said, “I can pretty much guarantee I’d want to eat it every single week.” I kindly informed him that I’d already made it for him, but that it must not have made that much of an impression on him since he couldn’t remember that occasion. His response? “Well, go ahead and make it again, just to refresh my memory.” So I did.

Guess what? We loved it just as much as we did three years ago. It’s definitely not something I’ll make all the time (I don’t even want to see the calorie content), but man, it sure tastes good. It’s got a great smokiness from the bacon, and every bite is practically oozing with melty cheese. The French-fried onion topping is the perfect finishing touch. This stuff is delicious!

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
from Food Network

1 pound ground chuck
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 (8-ounce) package sharp cheddar, grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs, toasted
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 (3-ounce) can French-fried onions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and next 8 ingredients, mixing well.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.

4. Press meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.