Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
When I put this meatloaf recipe together I wasn’t sure if putting Sweet Italian Sausage would work well. I am very happy to say that this was one of my better meatloaf recipes. My daughter and I had this for dinner last night and when we were done eating I asked her if she would mind having the meatloaf for leftovers tonight – she said not at all, this is great! Plus it has BACON.
I smoked this beautiful creation on the Green Mountain Pellet Grill for 4 hours at 220°. When the internal temp reached 185° I foiled it for an hour. This foiling softened the bacon a little and drove the smoke flavor into the meat. When I sliced it I had a very nice 3/8″ smoke ring. The flavors of the loaf were blended perfectly. No need for ketchup or BBQ sauce. If I could, I like to serve this directly off the smoker so the bacon is slightly crispy. Enjoy!
Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
1 lb Ground Chuck
1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
1 lb Bacon
1 Egg
1 Udi’s Gluten Free Bagel (any white bread will do)
1 Med Onion diced
3 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbs Garlic Powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
½ cup beef broth
1 tbs Dried Oregano
½ cup milk
2 tbs Olive oil
¼ cup Jeff’s Naked Rib Rub (or your favorite rub)
Saute diced onion in olive oil, toward the end turn up heat a little to get some browned bits. Crumble bread in a bowl and add milk, let soak while preparing the meat mixture. Add all ingredients in a large bowl except the rub and bacon. Mix thoroughly using your hands, let sit while you weave the bacon.
bacon weave
Add 1/2 the rub to the bacon as shown, form meatloaf into a log shape and place in the center of the bacon. Fold the bacon from back and then from front. Sprinkle the rest of the rub on the completed loaf. Place directly on the grate of you smoker. A drip pan can go under if you want. Smoke until your internal temp hits 185°. Mine took 4 hours. Hope you enjoy this. Leave a comment if you liked it, loved it or have a changes to make it better.
