Who says meatloaf has to be served up as one big loaf? I love meatloaf but it takes forever to cook all the way through in the oven and can be dry if overcooked…ugh. Making meatloaf in bite sized portions is actually a brilliant idea. Not only does it take less time to cook, but the bacon keeps the meat filling juicy and adds loads of bacon-y yumminess! This recipe comes courtesy of Tasty.com. A big shout out to them for this unique idea for serving up meatloaf.
If you love bacon, you are going to love this recipe! Let’s be honest, shall we? Bacon just makes everything better!
These can be made up in advance and hang out in the fridge until you are ready to bake them up. Pop them in the oven and you have a delicious appetizer to serve to your guests.
These are hearty enough to serve as a main dish as well. I mean, honestly, who wouldn’t enjoy this guilty pleasure as an occasional treat for dinner?
Alright lets get going on how to make these little lovelies of bacon goodness!!!
Gather together onion, cheese, parsley, breadcrumbs, garlic, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Add these ingredients to 1 pound ground beef in a large mixing bowl.
Add egg and combine.
Using an ice cube tray helps with forming these bacon bombs, but you could also roll a tablespoon of the ground beef mixture into a ball and wrap individually with a strip of bacon.
TIP: spraying the ice cube tray with non-stick cooking spray. will ensure the bacon slides out of the tray easily once the wells are filled.
Lay out strips of bacon to cover an entire ice cube tray. Push bacon down into the openings creating wells. Leave ends hanging out over the edges.
Fill each ice cube tray well with a generous tablespoon of the ground beef mixture.
Fold bacon strips over the beef, overlapping the ends.
Flip over onto a cookie sheet. Wrap with additional slices of bacon to completely cover meat filling.
Repeat, using up the remaining beef mixture and bacon.
Bake @ 400° for 45-50 minutes.
Remove from oven and baste with your favorite barbecue sauce.
Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Drain on paper towels to absorb excess grease.
Cut into individual bites and serve warm.
TIP: These are a wonderful appetizer to serve up the next time you are entertaining. Assemble and keep them in the fridge until ready to serve. Pop them in the oven to cook and serve them up to your guests piping hot.
Bacon Bombs
Equipment
- Ice cube tray
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 24 strips bacon
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl stir together ground beef, onion, cheese, parsley, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt and pepper until well combined.
- Spray an ice cube tray with non-stick spray.
- Lay out a strips of bacon to cover entire ice cube tray. Push bacon down into the openings creating wells. Leave ends hanging out over the edges.
- Fill each ice cube tray opening with about a tablespoon of the ground beef mixture.
- Fold bacon strips over the beef, overlapping the ends.
- Flip over onto a cookie sheet.
- Repeat, using up the remaining beef mixture and bacon.
- Bake @ 400° for 45-50 minutes.
- Remove from oven and baste with barbecue sauce.
- Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Cut into individual cubes to serve.
- Serve with Ranch dressing for dipping if desired.
Did You Make This?
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