meatloafGrowing up, I dreaded meatloaf night in my house. No offense to my mom, but her ketchup-topped concoction kind of turned me off on the dish. It wasn't until years later when I tasted some more advanced versions that I realized how delicious it can be.

I stumbled upon this recipe from Simply Scratch for barbecue, bacon-wrapped meatloaf after a friend posted it on Facebook and raved about it. It is, in a word: Incredible. It's perfect for dinner any night of the week, and it will make your entire house smell incredible. You could use a bottled barbecue sauce if you want, but her recipe for the homemade version (linked to in the text below) will make it even better.

Barbecue Meatloaf With Bacon

  • 3/4 pound ground chuck
  • 3/4 pound ground sirloin
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/3 cup barbecue sauce, divided
  • 1 heaping tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 whole egg
  • 12-14 (or half a cup) saltine crackers, crushed into crumbs
  • 1 (12-ounce) package of bacon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and fold up edges making a dam to catch the drippings/fat.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion, 3 tablespoons of barbecue sauce, mustard, seasonings, egg, and cracker crumbs.

With your super duper clean hands, mix until combined and then form into a 9x5 loaf.

Wrap in bacon, brush with remaining barbecue sauce (or glaze again halfway through), and slide it into your preheated oven for 1 hour or until a thermometer registers at 160 degrees.

Remove and let rest for 10 minutes, slice, and serve.

 

Image via Simply Scratch