Paula Deen Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Paula Deen Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf packs ground chuck, sharp cheddar, crumbled bacon, and French fried onions into one pan. Ten minutes of prep, one hour in the oven, and dinner for six is done. A weeknight meal that hits every comfort food note a Southern table expects.

The ketchup-mustard glaze is what holds this recipe together. Half goes into the meat for moisture, and the rest gets spread on top before baking. Skip that split and you end up with a dry loaf on the inside or a pale top with no color. Paula knew that the two-part approach gives you flavor all the way through.

Mix the meat by hand and stop as soon as everything comes together. Overworking it makes the texture tough and dense. Add the fried onions in the last 10 to 15 minutes so they stay crunchy. Shape the loaf on a rack instead of a pan if you want the fat to drain off.

Paula Deen Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

610

kcal

A baked meatloaf loaded with cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and a tangy ketchup-mustard glaze, finished with crispy French fried onions.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chuck
  

• 10 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
  

• 1 (8 oz) package grated sharp cheddar cheese
  

• 2 large lightly beaten eggs
  

• 1/4 cup toasted breadcrumbs
  

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  

• 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
  

• 1/3 cup ketchup
  

• 2 tablespoons Mustard
  

• 1 (3 oz) can French fried onions

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat oven to 350 °F.
• Mix the meatloaf: In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and next 8 ingredients, mixing well.
• Make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.
• Bake: Press meat mixture into a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.

Tools for this recipe

• USA Pan 1-pound loaf pan, ThermoPro instant-read thermometer, OXO 4-sided box grater, Hellmann's real mayonnaise, 30 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use regular ground beef instead of ground chuck?

Ground chuck runs about 80/20 lean-to-fat, which keeps the loaf moist without dumping too much grease. Regular ground beef works if it is in that same range. Go leaner than 90/10 and the meatloaf dries out. Go fattier and the loaf shrinks and sits in liquid.

How long does this meatloaf keep in the fridge?

Wrapped tightly or stored in a sealed container, it lasts three to four days. Reheat slices in the oven at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes to keep them from drying out. The microwave works in a pinch, but the fried onions lose their crunch.

Can I prep this the night before and bake it the next day?

Mix everything, press it into the loaf pan, cover it tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Add about 10 extra minutes of bake time since the meat starts cold. Hold the French fried onions until the last 10 to 15 minutes so they come out crispy.

Why did my meatloaf fall apart when I sliced it?

The eggs and breadcrumbs are the binders holding the loaf together. Skipping either one or cutting too soon causes crumbling. Let the meatloaf rest in the pan for at least 10 minutes after baking so the juices settle and the slices hold their shape.

Why split the ketchup mixture instead of putting it all on top?

Stirring part of the glaze into the raw meat seasons it from the inside and keeps it moist during baking. Putting it all on top leaves the center bland and under-seasoned. The split gives you a glaze on the outside and built-in flavor through the middle.