Smoked Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Recipe
This Traeger smoked bacon-wrapped meatloaf is a delightful blend of smoky, spicy, and sweet flavors, making it a crowd-pleaser for the whole family. With a hearty mix of bacon, cheese, and ground meat, it's a dish that guarantees seconds. It's easy to prepare with minimal prep work, making it a staple for busy weeknights in my kitchen.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Sharp cheddar cheese cut into small cubes
- 1 Large onion grated (it will turn into a paste)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ⅓ cup Kansas City BBQ sauce or your favorite BBQ sauce plus ¼ cup for glaze
- 2 Eggs
- 1 packet Dry onion soup mix
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 cup Crushed saltine crackers or regular bread crumbs, Panko, or crushed croutons
- 1-½ pounds Ground beef
- ½ pound ground Pork sausage
- 1 pound thin-cut Bacon
Instructions
- Cut the sharp cheddar cheese into small cubes.
- Grate the large onion until it becomes a paste, including the juices.
- Mix grated onion and juices with Worcestershire sauce, ⅓ cup BBQ sauce, eggs, onion soup mix, garlic powder, and smoked paprika until well combined.
- Stir in crushed saltine crackers and let soak for 5 minutes.
- Crumble ground beef and pork sausage into the mixture and mix until well combined.
- Gently fold in cheese cubes.
- Shape the mixture into a loaf on a lined baking sheet.
- Lay thin-cut bacon slices over the loaf, overlapping them slightly and tuck ends under the loaf.
- Brush the top of the loaf with BBQ sauce.
- Preheat pellet grill to 225°F and place meatloaf on grill.
- Smoke for 2 hours.
- Baste meatloaf with BBQ sauce again and smoke for another 30-60 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Notes
- You can substitute crushed saltine crackers with regular bread crumbs, Panko bread crumbs, or crushed croutons.
- Avoid over-mixing the meat mixture to keep the meatloaf tender.
- Thin-cut bacon is recommended for this recipe as it allows the fat to go down properly.