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Home / Recipe Collections / Meatloaf / Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

1 hr 15 mins
| 132 Comments |
4.67 from 54 votes
Jump to Recipe 05/20/19 | Updated: 12/31/19 | by Nora
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Image Pin
close up photo of melted mozzarella cheese oozing out of a sliced meatloaf
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
4.67 from 54 votes
Yield: 8
Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
I don't know about you, but a homemade meatloaf stuffed with mozzarella cheese and wrapped in bacon… Sounds pretty legendary! It may not score big on pretty looks but it sure delivers the most amazing flavors you could hope for. Instead of using ketchup on it, I smother it in BBQ sauce because you know what, it's just better that way. I adapted this from The Pioneer Woman, because if there ever was a lady who knows her comfort food, it would most definitely be her.
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅔ cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped green pepper (optional, but delicious)
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley (to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon dried garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
  • salt & pepper (to taste)
  • 9 ounces thin-cut bacon
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese (diced)
  • ½ cup barbecue sauce
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins

Instructions

  • Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (convection ovens to 320°F). Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan first with parchment paper and then with ⅔ of the bacon, leaving an overhang. OR line a rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment and lay ⅔ of the bacon on top if you want to bake without a pan.
  • Make meat mix: Mix ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, onion, mustard and spices in a large bowl (I use a handheld mixer with the hook attachment to do this).
  • Shape meatloaf: Shape a long log with ⅔ of the meat mixture and fit it inside the loaf pan (OR on top of the bacon on the baking sheet, if baking without a loaf pan). Make a crease down the middle and add the mozzarella cheese to it. Cover with the remaining meat mixture. Fold the bacon overhang on top and cover entirely with the remaining ⅓ of bacon. Spread with ⅓ of the barbecue sauce.
  • Bake: Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Spread with another ⅓ of the barbecue sauce. Continue baking for another 20 minutes, then spread with the remaining sauce right as it comes out of the oven. Allow the meatloaf to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. If you baked in a loaf pan, VERY CAREFULLY drain it before removing from the pan (depending on your meat/bacon, a lot of juices can accumulate).
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Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 561mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 3.7mg

More recipe information

Cuisine: American
Course: Main Course
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My tips for the best meatloaf:

Recipes like this one can be tricky to translate into all kinds of different kitchen situations of people all over the world.

I genuinely think it’s a great recipe though (with lots of great reviews!), so to make sure yours turns out perfectly, here are some tips:

Why is my meatloaf falling apart?

The meat mix for meatloaf is kind of like a dough: It needs to be kneaded a little to stick together.

This helps the proteins in the meat stick together and make a firmer shape. It also prevents your meatloaf from turning out crumbly.

I usually do this with the hook attachment of my hand mixer, because who’s got the passion to knead a meat dough?! 😉 The mixer does a quick and nearly mess-free job of combining the meat with seasoning, egg and breadcrumbs. So easy!

Use the correct baking pan

If you’re baking the meatloaf in a pan, make sure you’re using a metal loaf pan, one like this you can get on Amazon (FYI, this is an affiliate link and I make a commission for purchases made through this link), not a ceramic one.

Metal pans have thinner walls and the heat spreads differently. I used a metal baking pan, so I strongly recommend doing the same for this recipe.

I have successfully made this meatloaf without a pan at all though, so if you don’t want to deal with draining meat juices out of a loaf pan after baking, you can just lay out the bacon on a baking sheet, shape the meatloaf on top and stuff it with cheese, then criss-cross the bacon all around and over the top.

What cheese is good for putting inside this mozzarella stuffed bacon wrapped meatloaf?

I used mozzarella here because it’s quite mild and I have small kids.

But for more sharpness/flavor, you could also use a nice cheddar.

I guess pretty much any cheese that melts well and you like the taste of works, to be honest.

How can you tell meatloaf is done?

First of all, make sure your oven is set to the right temperature (and check with an oven thermometer to make sure it’s as hot as it says!).

Then, the pretty much only way to tell meatloaf is done (since you can’t really cut into it to check)? Is with an instant read thermometer (FYI, this is an affiliate link and I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through).

Get one! It’s so handy.

How do you keep meatloaf from drying out?

I use this super secret method to keep my meatloaf from drying out… Well, it’s not actually that secret:

I smother the meatloaf in sauce before baking, during baking AND right after baking.

Oh and P.S: My Homemade Meatloaf Sauce is pretty delicious 😉

If you feel your meatloaf still dries out during baking, you can loosely cover it with aluminum foil, but I’ve never found this to be necessary.

sliced cheese stuffed meatloaf with cheese oozing out
meatloaf on the table with mashed potatoes and lettuce
eating cheese stuffed meatloaf with a fork

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P.S: Check out our collection of easy dinner recipes with ground beef for more ideas!

Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
About Nora 
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

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Comments

  1. Kayleigh says

    September 06, 2021 at 3:11 am

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner last night and it was great!! The only things I would change: I would pre-bake the bacon for a few minutes so that it crisps a little better while baking. I would also halve it—no way my husband and I can eat the whole thing lol! We added some fresh mozzarella to the top and broiled it for 3 minutes at the end. Crisped the bacon up nicely and gave the cheese a bubbly finish!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      September 25, 2021 at 5:27 pm

      I’m so glad, Kayleigh! And thanks for sharing your comments, I appreciate it. I do think the issue with the bacon not crisping up comes down to how thinly cut it is – I always buy bacon in quite thin slices; sturdier slices might stay softer.

      Reply
  2. Elsa says

    May 14, 2021 at 12:27 am

    This is the most delicious meatloaf ever. Thank you

    Reply
    • Nora says

      May 15, 2021 at 6:39 pm

      I’m so glad, Elsa!

      Reply
  3. Lori says

    March 06, 2021 at 12:14 pm

    5 stars
    This was amazing! I took another’s advice and par cooked the bacon and only used it on the top. Substituted fontina cheese.
    Edible

    Reply
    • Nora says

      March 09, 2021 at 4:54 pm

      I’m so glad, Lori!

      Reply
  4. Katina says

    January 30, 2021 at 1:46 am

    5 stars
    This meatloaf was amazing! The only things that I did different was – used 3 eggs (I had a little more than 2 lbs of ground beef). I used less bbq sauce for the glaze and only used salt, pepper and a little bit of garlic for the seasoning. Thank you for the recipe! My husband and I aren’t big meatloaf fans but this was amazing!

    Reply
  5. Janice Plarskki says

    December 01, 2020 at 3:12 am

    5 stars
    That was a delicious meatloaf!

    Reply
  6. Pat says

    September 09, 2020 at 9:01 pm

    Loved this… used oats instead of bread crumbs, added ham slices topped with the cheese and no bbq. My husband can’t have anything with tomatoes so this was great! Thanks!

    Reply
  7. Scott Lawson says

    September 01, 2020 at 1:29 am

    5 stars
    The only change I made was instead of BBQ sauce, I used ketchup and brown sugar

    Reply
  8. Dix says

    May 15, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    You say to use 1/3 of the BBQ sauce x 3 …. that’s .166 cups? Or do you mean slather with 1/2 cup Bbq sauce each time?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nora Rusev says

      May 16, 2020 at 12:14 am

      Dix, so sorry about the confusion! I mean slather with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce each time. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  9. Cmoore says

    April 28, 2020 at 6:39 am

    Fabulous recipe, will definitely be on my favorites list from now on!

    Reply
  10. Jackie says

    December 20, 2019 at 3:10 am

    Will cooking this in a throw away, one time use, aluminum loaf pan increase or decrease the bake time? Will using this pan type still work?
    Also, can this be prepared the night before to pop in the oven in the morning? If not, how would you recommend reheating? (I’m making this for a meatloaf competition to be judged around lunch & work in the morning:( )

    Reply
    • Nora Rusev says

      December 20, 2019 at 9:56 am

      Jackie, I think that would work well with the pan. Just make sure to drain the juices well. You can also make it without a loaf pan and just free-form on a sheet pan. I have the instructions for that here in my Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf recipe – it has more seasoning etc as well, if that’s something you’d be looking for. Just add the mozzarella to the middle as well.

      And I think it would work well to prepare it the night before and bake it in the morning. Reheating tends to dry it out a little.

      Reply
  11. Holly says

    April 01, 2019 at 12:43 am

    5 stars
    This was awesome! We were fighting over the last piece. I guess I’ll have to make two next time! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      April 01, 2019 at 4:33 pm

      Haha, yep. Better double batch this next time! Thank you so much for your review, Holly. I appreciate it!

      Reply
  12. Carol says

    March 22, 2019 at 4:03 am

    I am going to prepare this meatloaf tomorrow, and my question is this; how would it cook if I did the parchment paper in an aluminum pan, but put a small baking rack on the very bottom before I put the meatloaf in the parchment paper in the pan? Thank you for your help!

    Carol

    Reply
    • Nora says

      March 22, 2019 at 10:23 am

      Hi Carol, do you mean putting a rack at the bottom of the pan? I assume this would be to allow the fat to drain away from the meatloaf, so I would recommend lining the pan, THEN placing the rack, and THEN placing the meatloaf. Cooking time should be about the same.

      Reply
  13. Anita says

    March 17, 2019 at 3:49 am

    How long would I bake without using the barbecue sauce??

    Reply
    • Nora says

      March 17, 2019 at 11:27 am

      It would be the same baking time. Though I wouldn’t suggest baking the meatloaf without any kind of sauce on top, or it will dry out. If you don’t have/like BBQ sauce, you can also use ketchup or a thick gravy; or make your own: Homemade Meatloaf Sauce. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  14. Rob says

    March 13, 2019 at 2:08 am

    You are awesome… I appreciate your responses to people that don’t think for themselves… Some of these people need you to come over and do it for them… Thanks again ( I enjoyed this recipe and will follow other ideas you have)

    Reply
  15. Tony says

    January 27, 2019 at 2:10 pm

    4 stars
    Sounds like a winner! The only change I would recommend is using 50% mozzarella and 50% provolone cheese! I’ll let you know how it turns out!!😎

    Reply
  16. Anika says

    August 01, 2018 at 12:04 am

    Could you mozzarella sticks instead of shredded or chopped mozzarella? Just place one stick in the middle???

    Reply
    • Nora says

      August 04, 2018 at 11:11 am

      Yes, you totally could! That’s a great idea, Anika!

      Reply
  17. Andrew G says

    March 08, 2018 at 2:21 am

    Do you baked it covered or uncovered? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      March 08, 2018 at 10:42 pm

      Uncovered! Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply
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Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings

Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

More about me →

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