Wow! The people have spoken…. and we listened. While we shared the sugar cookie recipe last week, that apparently wasn’t enough. We received a crazy number of requests for Chef Sandy’s Cheeseburger Meatloaf after last Tuesday Lunch. Never say we don’t listen to you – we are posting the recipe below!
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
- Spray oil, for baking dish
- 2 pounds bacon, divided
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup fried onions, crushed (preferably Durkee’s)
- 1 envelope onion soup mix (preferably Lipton’s)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated garlic
- 2 cups BBQ sauce, divided (store bought)
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided
- Water, to moisten
Preheat oven to 325. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Cook 1 pound of bacon over medium heat until it is just beginning to turn brown (still limp).  Then line pan with ½ pound of partially cooked bacon. Remove the rest of the cooked bacon and let drain on a paper towel. Cook the other pound of bacon until browned. When it is cooled, crumble and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl add the eggs and beat. Add the crushed onions, onion soup mix, salt, pepper, garlic, 1 cup BBQ sauce, ½ of the cooked crumbled bacon and the ground beef together. With your hands, mix together well.  If it feels dry, add a little water to moisten.
Shape ¾ of the meat mixture into a loaf. Make a well down in the center of the meatloaf leaving about 1-inch on each end in tact. Take 1½ cups cheddar cheese and 1 cup of the Swiss cheese and the remainder of the crumbled bacon and fill your well. Cover with the remaining ¼ of meat mixture. Pinch the ends to seal in the cheese. (Use water to moisten, if needed.)
Place loaf onto bacon in the pan and wrap upward the remaining ½ limp bacon. Wrap from top so loaf is totally wrapped in bacon.
Bake for about 30 minutes then brush with remaining 1 cup BBQ sauce and return to the oven for another 30 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1½ cups cheddar cheese and 1 cup Swiss cheese and return to the oven to bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. The meatloaf should have internal temp of 160-165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and let your loaf rest about 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes; Cook time 1 ½ hours
