Who doesn't love good old fashioned meatloaf? This Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is a mix of ground turkey and beef for a delicious result.
Never mind New Year's resolutions (I never make them anyway). This time of year needs comfort food.
Then again, who said the two need to be mutually exclusive? Sometimes, we can eat our favorite old standbys, like this Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf, but "healthify" them, at least a little bit.
Don't get me wrong, this is by no means low calorie, low fat or low sodium. But it is a bit of an improvement over your typical meatloaf recipe.
By using extra lean instead of lean ground beef and switching part of the meat to ground turkey, we can cut back on fat and calories while still keeping the flavor. And the added cheese and bacon don't hurt the flavor factor either (though they definitely add to the sodium and fat factor).
The first time I tasted this recipe was at my parents' neighbors' cottage in Nova Scotia. When I tasted it I knew I wanted the recipe to replace my existing standby meatloaf recipe.
Luckily, she had her original cookbook from the 60's or 70's and provided me with a photocopy of the recipe. In the time since I have acquired the recipe, I have made the meatloaf several times, almost always using part ground turkey with excellent results.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf:
This meatloaf is very quick and easy to prepare, but if needed you can always prepare it in advance of cooking and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
Keep in mind that it does require a fair bit of time to cook - 1 hour. Plan accordingly.
It's normal for the meatloaf to shrink quite a bit while it's cooking, and also for it to release a lot of juice and fat. You'll want to remove the meatloaf from the fat and allow it to drain for a few minutes before cutting.
Making this bacon-wrapped meatloaf starts with mixing a few seasonings and sauces together in a small bowl.
Then mix together the meats, cheese, oats, onion, and parsley, and add the sauce mixture. Mix everything together (I find it easiest to use my hands, but you can also use a wooden or silicone spoon), and press it into a loaf pan.
Then simply lay the bacon strips (cut in half first so they fit just right) over the top, and cook.
Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Ingredients:
- Ketchup
- Large Egg
- Salt: this is a great recipe to use MSG-salt
- Worcestershire sauce
- Pepper
- Lean or extra lean ground beef
- Ground turkey
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Rolled oats (use Gluten Free oats to make this recipe Gluten Free)
- Large onion minced
- Minced parsley
- Bacon: or use turkey bacon to cut back on fat, or reduced-sodium bacon to cut back on sodium
Want more Ground Beef recipes?
Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Nutrition Notes:
To lower the total and saturated fat in the meatloaf, use extra lean ground beef instead of lean or regular and/or use light cheddar instead of regular. You could also replace the bacon with turkey bacon. Make sure to drain the meatloaf completely on a wire rack before serving.
To lower the sodium in this meatloaf, reduce the salt by half and/or use reduced sodium bacon.
Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
Equipment
- 1 9x5" loaf pan
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound lean or extra lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup rolled oats (use Gluten Free oats to make this recipe Gluten Free)
- 1 medium onion minced
- 2 Tablespoons minced parsley
- 3 slices bacon cut in half crosswise
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together ⅓ cup ketchup, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Mix together 1 pound lean or extra lean ground beef, 1 pound ground turkey, ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ¼ cup rolled oats, minced onion, and 2 Tablespoons minced parsley (it's best to do this with your hands). Add the ketchup mixture and mix until incorporated.
- Press the meat mixture into a 9x5" loaf pan. Lay the halved bacon slices over the top horizontally, tucking the edges down the sides if needed. Bake for one hour.
- Remove from loaf pan and set on a platter or cutting board to rest and drain for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
Nutrition
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