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Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

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This homemade Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is stuffed with melty cheese and wrapped in plenty of bacon for an easy comforting family dinner.

The recipe is cooked without ketchup and smothered in a BBQ sauce glaze instead. The classic meatloaf base is made with ground beef, eggs and with breadcrumbs.

Served with your favorite sides and a simple gravy, the cheesy middle of this meatloaf will be the best surprise at your dinner table!

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

The BEST homemade meatloaf recipe! Stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon, then smothered in BBQ sauce. Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

Ok, I’m just going to come out and say this: I don’t usually post things when I decide they don’t look super appealing (unless they’re Sticky BBQ Slow Cooker Meatballs of course). But this right here, it was taste over matter.

And besides, how would you make meatloaf look pretty? It’s next to impossible. I’m amazed it’s not too much of a mess because usually when I make meatloaf it’s just a huge meat-mash-gravy battlefield.

So please, please, please excuse the not-so-gorgeous look of this and just trust me that it tastes absolutely divine!

This is the first time I dared to make meatloaf in about nine months. Because the last time I had it I was just 15 weeks pregnant and still slightly sick. And still majorly grossed out by all things meat, fish and eggs (greek yogurt as a protein source for the win!).

We were at ski camp where we cook for 50 people (going again in February, it’s going to be a blast blogging from an industrial sized kitchen!) and meatloaf with mashed potatoes was on the plan.

Branimir made the meatloaf (wanna ask him how much fun it is to stick your hands and half your arms into pounds of just-thawed minced beef? By the look on his face – not fun at all!) and I was in charge of the mash. Lucky me!

Because I could hardly even stand the smell of the meatloaf, let alone make or taste it.

The BEST homemade meatloaf recipe! Stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon, then smothered in BBQ sauce. Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

But it is something I really like otherwise, just not while pregnant. So now I decided to get over my fear of having lost my meatloaf-appetite forever and try out something a bit different.

I might be the only one, but I never wrapped my meatloaf in bacon (really, never). And also I never stuffed it with cheese before, even though I put the exact same flavors into my Slow Cooker BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Dip.

I know, I know. I must live on a different planet and I get it now. It’s SO good! The crispy bacon and the gooey melty mozzarella cheese – it’s pretty close to perfect.

But then again I adapted this Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf from a recipe I found on The Pioneer Woman so it couldn’t be anything short of amazing.

Oh and on a completely unrelated side note: My baby is sleeping right now! In her playpen! On her own! Woohoo!

Because last night she somehow found her way into our bed (a.k.a. my husband fetched her when she was crying around 2am and mommy didn’t even notice) and I woke up around 6am with a tiny face smiling at me (OK, I’m lying, she was crying). And then she nursed and went back to sleep in my arms until I decided I wanted to get up. That’s how she rolls.

So, people. If you’re not sure what main dish to make for Sunday. Or Monday. Or any day. Make this meatloaf.

But make it when there’s nobody but you and your family around – because we all know meatloaf = messy. Oh, my baby girl just woke up. Bye for now!

The BEST homemade meatloaf recipe! Stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon, then smothered in BBQ sauce. Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

A few tips to make sure your delicious homemade meatloaf recipe works out perfectly:

A few people have mentioned that their meat never cooked through. A few tips on troubleshooting:

The recipe was written for a convection oven

Convection ovens generally need a little less heat. So if you’re using a conventional oven (no fan) make sure to set it to 350°F.

Otherwise the meatloaf will take longer to cook and the top might never crisp up and brown.

Use the correct baking pan

Make sure you’re using a metal loaf pan, one like this you can get on Amazon*, 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 know readers have successfully made this without a pan at all, 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.

The cheese can make or break this meatloaf

Don’t use the cheapest cheese there is or else it will leak a lot of water, leading to either an undercooked meatloaf or one that doesn’t properly hold together.

It would be a shame to have such a delicious dinner swimming in too much liquid!

The meatloaf mixture is a kind of dough

Yes, that’s right.

Just like a yeast dough needs to be kneaded to hold together, the meatloaf mixture really needs a good kneading.

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 mixer, because who’s got the passion to knead a meat dough?! 😉

Make sure your oven is at the right temperature

Baking recipes can be so tricky! I really recommend checking your oven’s temperature with a thermometer.

Especially if it’s an older model – you never know what’s really going on!

For example, my oven takes about 45 minutes to get to 350°F even though it says to be hot enough after 10. I kept getting underbaked cakes until I started checking with a thermometer.

If this all doesn’t do the trick – then I’m genuinely sorry it didn’t work out for you

Always take into account that differences in ingredients really affect cooking. I hope these tips are still helpful to you!

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Here’s the printable Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf recipe for your collection:

This homemade Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is stuffed with melty cheese and wrapped in plenty of bacon for an easy comforting family dinner.
4.78 from 9 votes
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Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Recipe

This homemade meatloaf is stuffed with mozzarella cheese and wrapped in bacon! It may not score big on pretty looks but it sure delivers the most amazing flavors you could hope for! Plus it's made without ketchup and smothered in BBQ sauce instead. Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 530 kcal
Author Nora

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
  • Salt pepper and smoked paprika, to taste
  • 9 ounces thin-cut bacon
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese chopped
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat a convection oven to 320° Fahrenheit (conventional ovens to 350°F).
  2. Mix ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs and spices in a large bowl.
  3. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan first with parchment paper and then with 2/3 of the bacon, leaving an overhang.
  4. Shape a long log with 2/3 of the meat mixture and fit it inside the loaf pan. Make a groove in 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 1/3 of bacon. Spread with 1/3 of the barbecue sauce.

  5. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Spread with another 1/3 of the barbecue sauce. Continue baking for another 20 minutes, spread with the remaining sauce and serve hot.

* I make a commission for purchases made through these links.a

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This homemade Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf is stuffed with melty cheese and wrapped in plenty of bacon for an easy comforting family dinner. The recipe is cooked without ketchup and smothered in a BBQ sauce glaze instead. The classic meatloaf base is made with ground beef, eggs and with breadcrumbs. Served with your favorite sides and a simple gravy, the cheesy middle of this meatloaf will be the best surprise at your dinner table! Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.
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Comments

  1. ok, I for one am SO glad that you did post this!!! That cheese in a meatloaf!! and there’s bacon!!! Nuff said yo! This might not win any beauty contest awards but I think this is freaking fabulous!!! Hearty “meat” food is never pretty but you don’t want it to be! LOVE this!

    Reply

    • Thank you Sarah! Yes it was huge – thankfully we had my brother-in-law and his fiancée over to finish it off 😉

      Yes, it was a huge step for both of us but she’s doing so well – last night she slept 6 hours without waking up in complete starvation mode 😀

      Reply

  4. Okay, you cannot apologize for not being able to make meatloaf look good and then show me pictures of cheese oozing out of meatloaf. It looks SO good! I absolutely need to try this as soon as possible. Pinned!!

    Reply

  5. I feel like this is the Ron Swanson of meat loafs, lol. If you do not watch Parks and Rec that reference will make no sense. Which means you should start watching that show immediately. Anyhoo, this looks delicious!!!!

    Reply

  7. Hey Nora! That first photo made me one to reach in and grab the meatloaf through the screen. Great blog and great recipe, thank you for sharing!

    Reply

    • Mary Anne, you are right! I completely forgot to put this into the instructions! It’s not absolutely necessary as the bacon will prevent the meatloaf from sticking to the pan but it makes lifting the whole meatloaf out so much easier! Thank you for pointing it out – I will add it to the instructions immediately! Have a lovely week!

      Reply

  9. It looks delicious but somehow your instructions are not all there
    Left out the other 1/3 of meat and bacon on top. What to do with overhang on bottom

    Reply

  11. It’s so beautiful, I was blinded! I had to make this, and it was glorious! I can die happy now, for I have tasted heaven.

    Reply

  13. So good! My wife usually does all the cooking, but I saw this and it motivated me to try it. Thank you so much for this, for now I can say I have a meal worth making. lol 🙂

    Reply

  15. Hi, i was just wondering if after I take it out after the first 40 minutes and reapply the BBQ sauce, do I cover it again to put it back in for another 20 minutes? thanks so much!! 🙂

    Reply

    • I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you Katie – lots of people reported good results so I’m afraid I really don’t know what went wrong there! Maybe our ovens behave differently and you simply need to cook it at a higher temperature/for a longer time in your kitchen. So sorry again!

      Reply

    • You can try but I can’t 100% vouch for it! Sticking probably isn’t an issue as the bacon releases enough fat during the cooking. But maybe you’ll have some issues getting it out of the pan.

      Reply

  19. I think you may be right about ovens behaving differently, the Bacon didn’t cook for me either, I will ramp up the temp.and cook a little longer next time , while my wife said to pre cook the Bacon, either way we will dial it ,Its too awesome a recipe to give up on.Cant wait to try it again

    Reply

    • Ovens are tricky little beasts! Are you using a convection oven? If not, definitely try upping the temperature. Was your bacon the thin sliced variety? That’s what I used. Or try a different baking pan – mine was a thin aluminium pan, sometimes that can be tricky too!

      Reply

      • In the long note it says 350 for temperature but the recipe says 320. This may be why it isn’t working for some people. I have cooked mine for the 60min at the 320. After spotting the 350 in the note I turned up my heat. Hope it tastes as good as it smells.

        Reply

        • You’re right Kim! The recipe is for a convection oven and in the note I put the time for normal ovens! I’ll add a note to the recipe to make sure everyone sees it’s for a convection oven! I hope it turned out for you!

          Reply

  20. I had the same issue as Katie. It was not cooked thru (pink in center near the mozzarella) and required more time. Perhaps a higher temperature would have helped. I even had to flip the meatloaf over to cook the bacon on the underside.. I might try it again, but the family was not wowed by it.

    Reply

  22. Thanks for sharing. I will be making one tomorrow . I am gonna use a mixture of ground pork and hamburger. I am going to stuff the loaf with cheddar and roasted red peppers. Looking forward to it!

    Reply

  23. You should’ve really stated that the oven temp was for a convection oven not a conventional in the recipe because now I have my sides ready for a nice pink meatloaf after an hour of cooking. And suggestions on how much longer I need to cook it now, after its cooked at 320 for an hour and is nowhere near ready? I don’t want to burn it or over cook it please help family is starving.

    Reply

    • I’m so sorry Steve – your comment landed in my spam folder. Don’t hesitate to shoot me an eMail with urgent matters. Really, the difference between a conventional oven and a convection oven isn’t that much that it would still be raw in the middle after an hour. It either takes a slightly higher temperature (we’re talking a few degrees) or about 10-20 minutes max. longer. It’s much more a matter of which baking dish you’re using, how your oven behaves (I always keep a thermometer in my oven because it takes much longer to preheat than the oven is telling me) and what kind of meat you used. I hope you figured something out!

      Reply

  24. Hi Nora, I just discovered this recipe. It reminds me on a meal I had a long time ago back in Switzerland. It was so delicious, and now I have the recipe for it. Thank you!

    Reply

    • I haven’t tried making the meatloaf with sausage meat so unfortunately all I can tell you is to have a go at it and see what happens! The one thing I could imagine is that the meatloaf might fall apart more easily. If you do go for it check the consistency of the meat mixture and add more egg for binding if need be. Also, make sure to really, really knead the mixture well. But I cannot guarantee that it will work out!

      Reply

    • I haven’t tried it without BBQ sauce so I can’t give you an answer for sure. But I’d think it would be a bit dry without it. Can you use ketchup or a thick tomato sauce?

      Reply

  27. Hi Nora as a bacon loving family I am going to make this amazing meatloaf today. Normally I use mozzarella mixed in my meatloaf topped with marinara and my boys go nuts over it, tastes like meatball . Was wondering if the BBQ sauce or marinara are necessary (not a fan of BBQ sauce) n wud prefer to taste how the bacon makes the meat taste. Also I am new to having a beautiful convection oven I have used it twice once burning cinnamon rolls the other pizza. Have ne tips on how to cook in it without burning? Thank you for the amazing twist on meatloaf!!!!

    Reply

    • Hi Tina!

      Sorry for my late reply, your comment landed in my spam folder! I’m sure you can make the meatloaf without the BBQ sauce, just take extra care so it doesn’t burn.

      Oh you’re going to love your convection oven once you get the hang of it! what I’ve found to be most useful is getting an oven thermometer to know exactly how your oven is behaving temperature-wise. You can probably reduce the baking time by round about 10 minutes (always depending on what you’re making). Every oven is different – it’s like getting to know a new friend 🙂

      Reply

  28. It’s in the oven, sorry but I just had to add onions. Will let you know, my son-in-law will be the real critic tonight!

    Reply

  29. Ok, has anyone tried to make this with ground turkey and turkey bacon? I don’t eat beef and my mom can’t eat pork (or that bad boy would be covered with real bacon!). I’m making it tonight- if anyone has some suggestions on combating the dryness of the ground turkey let me know.

    Thx
    Susan

    Reply

    • Hi Susan! Sorry, I’m only just seeing your comment now. I hope your meatloaf turned out with the ground turkey and turkey bacon and you enjoyed it for dinner! Have a lovely day!

      Reply

  30. Sounds great ! Think I will try it with meat loaf mix( beef, veal,pork) and maybe add a bit of habanero sauce for a little kick…….will let you all know ??

    Reply

  31. This was really really good! I added some diced onions, but next time I will leave them out. Wonderful recipe. Thank you!

    Reply

  33. Making this on Friday night for my hubby who is coming home from a week long business trip overseas. He is ready for some comfort food. What kind of ground beef did you use? Ground round, ground chuck, ground sirloin? Just curious. 🙂 Can’t wait to make this!

    Reply

    • Hi Michele, I hope the meatloaf will be a nice surprise 🙂 I’m guessing it was ground chuck, we have different meat cuts here but I’m thinking this will be the closest match. Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply

  34. This has become a favorite at my house. I add garlic and onions, use shredded Italian blend cheese and bake a bit longer/hotter to account for the extra ingredients. I think I have it down now. Love it! We have a hungry family of 7 and one loaf is dinner and lunch for my husband the next day.

    Reply

    • I’m so happy to read this comment, Vanessa! I’m glad your family is enjoying the meatloaf so much and I love your customizations!

      Reply

  35. Making it tonight and after the hour of cooking in a fully preheated oven the hamburger meat is still not done. Still can’t wait to try it.

    Reply

    • Hi Amber, I hope the meatloaf cooked for you eventually. A few people have said it took a long time to cook for them, others were perfectly happy with the recipe. I suggest using an oven thermometer to check the temperature, and following all the tips I added in the post. For example, using a ceramic baking dish will most certainly increase the baking time compared to a metallic one.

      Reply

  36. Don’t make this! Didn’t get done, after an hour later at 350 it was still pink, the bacon wasn’t done and I dumped out a crapload of juices out of it… Looked really good but not worth the time…. I am not sure at this point how much longer I will need to keep this in…. So sad:(

    Reply

    • Hi Heidi, I’m sorry the meatloaf didn’t cook for you. There’s many people who reported good results, so it might have been bad luck for you. I never noticed a large amount of juices coming out, and neither did my mom who also tested the recipe for me after I got a few comments saying it didn’t cook right. Did you follow the tips I added at the end of the post? Baked recipes/ovens are often fickle, because the conditions are different for everyone. Even if you are on a different altitude than I am you might have troubles with the recipe.

      Reply

  37. I just found this recipe and had to try it. I’m feeding a large family tomorrow so I doubled the recipe (OMG…this is the largest meatloaf I’ve ever seen). Should I plan on doubling the cooking time or increasing the temperature AND double cooking time?

    Reply

    • Hi Jodi, I’m so sorry I’m only getting back to you now – your comment accidentally got caught by my spam filter. I hope the meatloaf worked out for you! For future reference: I would have probably made two regular sized ones instead of one large one, because I’m not very good at being patient 😉

      Reply

  38. So yummy! My family loved it. My bottom bacon was not done after the hour so I flipped it out onto a cookie sheet and baked about 10-15 min longer. Done perfectly!

    Reply

    • I’m so happy your family liked the meatloaf, Patti! And I’m glad you found such a great solution to make sure the bottom bacon was done as well! Thanks for taking the time to review the recipe.

      Reply

  39. Hi Nora! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! My bf said this is the best recipe I found on Pinterest.. I already made it a couple of times and everytime we have it for dinner, he never fails to tell me how good it is.. I wish I could share with you a picture of the latest one I made. Anyway, thank you once again and more power!?

    Reply

  40. It’s in the oven as I’m typing this!! I’m excited to see how it turns out. Mouth is watering waiting!!

    Reply

    • I’m sorry to read this, Myrna! If you looked at the little troubleshooting guide just before the recipe and followed all those instructions, chances are you didn’t do anything wrong. You may just have been unlucky and gotten a packet of meat with a higher-than-normal water content, or maybe your bacon was sliced thicker than the one I use etc. etc. Unfortunately cooking isn’t always an exact science, and I’m really sad it didn’t turn out for you!

      Reply

  42. Just found this recipe while looking for an alternate to regular meatloaf recipes. The other ones give my hubby heartburn, but this is his favorite family dish. I used italian bread crumbs and used a mild vidalia onion bbq sauce on top, only! It was such a hit even with sleepover buddies. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Thanks for your great feedback on the recipes, Jessi! I’m glad everyone loved the meatloaf, nothing better to read than a positive review 🙂

      Reply

    • Hi Rhonda! No, I wouldn’t cover the meatloaf unless the top is starting to get too dark. That shouldn’t happen because of the BBQ sauce though – and you want that bacon to get crispy 🙂 Hope that helps!

      Reply

  45. I made the mistake of clicking on “Print” because I wanted the menu…. What a mess !! I got 18 pages of readers comments along with, finally the recipe…. What a Rip !!!

    Reply

    • Hi Darrell, I’m very sorry this happened to you. I recently switched to a new recipe card and unfortunately there are still some technical issues happening right now. It’s definitely not my intention to have this happen, and all I can do is apologize again for your inconvenience.

      Reply

  46. Can this recipe be halfed? We are a family of 3 and I usually only cook a pound of meatloaf. Any tips on adjustments if it is okay to be halfed?

    Reply

  47. Why not just form the meat mixture onto a rectangle and sprinkle the cheese onto it and roll it up and place in the pan?

    Reply

    • Hi Cathy, that’s an option for sure. It’s totally down to personal preference, I find the method in my recipe easier. But do whatever works best for you!

      Reply

  48. Definitely making this Meatloaf recipe tomorrow, expected to be cold windy and raw outside and this hearty looking meatloaf wrapped in bacon in oven mmmmm thanks for sharing

    Reply

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