Southern meatloaf with smoky bacon and savory barbecue sauce - a simple meatloaf to make, moist and delicious, quick to prep for the oven, and special enough for company.
Plus, the added broccoli provides extra texture, flavor, and nutrition.
Fabulous served with my Sauteed Broccoli and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes.
One of the keys to this moist and flavorful bacon wrapped Southern meatloaf, is the addition of the sauteed vegetables and the milk-soaked bread.
Add to that the smoky bacon and barbecue sauce - OH SO YUMMY!
Making Southern Barbecue Meatloaf
In a large skillet, add bacon fat (or other fat of choice), onions, garlic, and broccoli and cook on medium until veggies are softened (10-15 minutes). Let cool a bit after cooking.
In a small bowl, break up bread in small pieces. Pour milk over bread until just to the top of the bread. Let soak while mixing other ingredients.
Meanwhile, while bread is soaking and veggies are cooking, crack eggs into large mixing bowl and beat with a fork or whisk.
Add ground beef, pork, oregano, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper and mix well with your hands to incorporate.
Add soaked bread to meat mixture and blend in with hands. Add warm veggies to meat mixture and incorporate thoroughly.
In a large un-greased 13 x 9 casserole dish, place the meat mixture and form into a long loaf, taking care to form it evenly in height along its length (for even cooking).
Position bacon strips across meatloaf cross-wise and tuck under to secure.
Place casserole dish in the oven and cook for 1-½ hours or until meat thermometer registers 160 F in several middle spots of the loaf.
Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with BBQ sauce.
Old Fashioned Meatloaf
... as good as it gets! With bacon, barbecue sauce, broccoli - delicious AND nutritious! Try it and lemme know what you think!
Enjoy with a side salad, side vegetable, and bread of choice. My Southern biscuits go with everything!
Goes perfectly with my Creamed Sweetcorn, Cream of Peas, or my Green Beans Aldmondine! Also great served with a cup or bowl of my easy, cheesy Crock Pot Potato Soup.
Hope you enjoy this moist, satisfying bacon meatloaf as much as my family and I do! Bon appetite, ya'll!
You may also love my Spaghetti Bolognaise recipe - simple yet so delicious pasta sauce!
Other Recipes to Try:
- Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake
- Corn Potato Chowder (Easy, Hearty & Delicious!)
- Baked Mahi Mahi Recipe (Simple & So Flavorful!)
- Authentic Jambalaya Recipe (Lots of Spicy Flavors!)
- Turkey Ala King (Using Leftover Turkey or Chicken)
- London Broil Crock Pot Recipe (with Built-In Gravy)
📋 Recipe
Southern Meatloaf Recipe (Bacon Wrapped)
make, moist and delicious, quick to prep for the oven, and special
enough for company.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon bacon fat or olive oil
- 1 cup fresh broccoli, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped (1-½ to 2 cups)
- 2 Tbs garlic, minced
- 2 slices bread (heels are fine - that's what I used)
- ½ to ¾ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pound ground beef (80% lean)
- 1 pound ground pork (or another pound of ground beef)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 teaspoon dry ground oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 7 strips bacon, uncooked
BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup tomato ketchup
- 4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large skillet, add bacon fat (or other fat of choice), onions, garlic, and broccoli and cook on medium until veggies are softened (10-15 minutes). Let cool a bit after cooking.
- In a small bowl, break up bread in small pieces. Pour milk over bread until just to the top of the bread. Let soak while mixing other ingredients.
- Meanwhile, while bread is soaking and veggies are cooking, crack eggs into large mixing bowl and beat with a fork or whisk.
- Add ground beef, pork, oregano, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper and mix well with your hands to incorporate.
- Add soaked bread to meat mixture and blend in with hands.
- Add warm veggies to meat mixture and incorporate thoroughly.
- In a large ungreased 13 x 9 casserole dish, place the meat mixture and form into a long loaf, taking care to form it evenly in height along its length (for even cooking).
- Position bacon strips across meatloaf cross-wise and tuck under to secure.
- Place casserole dish in the oven and cook for 1-½ hours or until meat thermometer registers 160 F in several middle spots of the loaf. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with BBQ sauce.
Cheryl says
Looks Great - First time recipe made recipe as is & was yummy - Quick Question - Now we only have thick sliced bacon in the house - Should we pre-fry it before wrapping the meatLoaf?!? Thank You
Sally says
Cheryl - Glad yours turned out yummy! As for the thick-cut bacon, I'm not sure how that would work, as I haven't used thick-cut. You could pre-cook a bit - just make sure it doesn't become crispy - you want it still to be floppy and limp in order to properly wrap. Let me know if you try it!
Irina says
It sounds that anything wrapped in bacon is delicious! Here we go... This meatloaf wrapped in bacon is worth trying:)
Sally says
Thanks Irina!
Sally says
The bacon adds so much flavor ... thanks Adrianne!
Kushigalu says
Such a creative idea. I have never tried wrapping meatloaf in bacon. So delicious
Sally says
Thanks Kushigalu!
Sally says
Takes the flavor to a whole new level, Whitney! Thanks for stopping by!
Sally says
Hope you love it Amy! Anything with bacon is comfort food at its finest ... enjoy!
Laura | Wandercooks says
Anything wrapped in bacon is a yes from me! I thoroughly enjoyed this, the meatloaf was perfectly moist 🙂
Sally says
Glad you loved it Laura! Thanks for letting me know!
Jane Saunders says
This is pure comfort food for me. So good with a few roast potatoes and green vegetables alongside.
Sally says
Perfect combinations, Jane!
Sylvie says
Such an indulgent dish, perfect to serve at a party or for Sunday Roast! I know it is the type of dish people would not be able to stop coming back for!
Sally says
It is delicious and well received by guests! Thanks Sylvie!
Shashi at SavorySpin says
It's been ages since I had meatloaf wrapped in bacon - your post reminds me that needs to change!
Sally says
Yes indeed, Sashi!
Tisha says
I mean you can't go wrong with wrapping something in bacon!!! This looks incredible!
Sally says
So true, Tisha! Thanks for stopping by!