Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger Meatloaf

By Kate Shungu ● Updated March 8, 2025

Crispy bacon. Pockets of gooey cheddar. Yellow onions cooked in bacon drippings. This Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger Meatloaf has ALL the good stuff.

slices of bacon cheddar cheeseburger meatloaf on a white serving platter

Featured Comment:

“The best meatloaf ever!!!! So much flavor and the ranch mixed with ketchup tops it off!! My 7 year old pickiest eater ever even loved it!!” -Rachel

Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger Meatloaf is the answer to disappointing meatloaf recipes. No boring meatloaf here!

Instead of shredded cheddar, we’ll use small cubes of cheddar to create pockets of cheese that literally ooze out when the meatloaf is warm (YUM). Along with bacon and onions, the cheese transforms this meatloaf from traditional to extraordinary.

So extraordinary that I even made it on tv for a segment on WGN News (Chicago)!

The meatloaf mimics a classic bacon cheeseburger, and it delivers some serious flavor. The topping also contains a secret ingredient: ranch dressing. It gets mixed in with the ketchup, and it adds a little zip that everyone loves.

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Ingredients

Here is what you need to make the meatloaf:

  • Bacon—this will get cooked before adding it to the meatloaf
  • Cut the cubed cheddar from a block of cheddar cheese (sharp or mild, whatever you prefer)
  • Ground round is 85% lean beef (you can also use 80% or 90% lean)
  • Ground pork keeps the meatloaf tender and juicy
  • Yellow onion will get cooked in the bacon drippings (yum!)
  • Breadcrumbs and eggs hold the meatloaf together
  • Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and salt add flavor to the finished dish
  • Ketchup and a little ranch dressing make an irresistible sauce for the top

How to make bacon cheddar Cheeseburger meatloaf

First, cook the bacon until crisp, then crumble it. Cook the diced onion in the bacon fat until soft.

Combine the rest of the ingredients (bacon, cheddar, ground round, ground pork, cooked onion, breadcrumbs, eggs, worcestershire sauce, parsley, and salt) in a large bowl.

Mix gently with your hands to combine. Be careful not to overmix the mixture, as that will make the meat tough.

Form the mixture into a meatloaf shape, roughly 12 inches long by 5 inches wide.

Make sure to place it on a baking sheet with a rim to catch any juices that run from the meatloaf (and also to catch the drippy cheese!).

Bake the meatloaf for 45 minutes, and then spoon on a mixture of ketchup and ranch dressing. Trust me on this one—the ranch adds a tasty zip to it! Bake for 10 more minutes and it’s ready to serve!

Bacon Cheddar Meatloaf

📖 Recipe

slices of bacon cheddar cheeseburger meatloaf on a white serving platter

Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Published by Kate
With pockets of gooey cheddar and crispy bacon, what’s not to love about this meatloaf?
4.62 from 36 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Entree
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 416 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 lb ground beef (I used 85% lean)
  • ½ lb ground pork (or sub more ground beef)
  • cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
  • cup chopped parsley
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon ranch dressing

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until crisp. Place the bacon on a paper towel lined plate to drain (keep the bacon grease in the pan), then chop into fine pieces.
  • Add the onion to the bacon grease. Cook until soft, about 3–4 minutes. Remove the onions but leave the bacon grease (which you can save for another use or discard).
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground round, breadcrumbs, eggs, worcestershire sauce, parsley, cubed cheddar, salt, chopped bacon, and cooked onions. Mix very gently with your hands to combine.
  • Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet with a rimmed edge. Form it into a loaf with your hands, packing it gently so it stays together.
  • Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, combine the ketchup and ranch dressing in a small bowl. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and pour the ketchup mixture on top. Return to the oven for 8–10 more minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
  • Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Video

Notes

Don’t have ground pork? You can use more ground beef in its place. 
Don’t have fresh parsley? Substitute two teaspoons of dried parsley.
You can use any variety of cheese that you like. Pepper jack would be nice for a little heat!
Make it a freezer meal: freeze the baked meatloaf (without ketchup) for up to two months. Defrost 24 hours in the fridge, then bake for 25 minutes at 350°F. Add the ketchup mixture and bake for 10 more minutes.
Side dish ideas: mashed potatoes, sweet potato fries, tater tots, cornbread, rice or rice pilaf, mac & cheese, creamed corn casserole, canned corn, bacon brussels sprouts, roasted broccoli, or a leafy green salad. 

Nutrition

Calories: 416kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 30gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 854mgPotassium: 488mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 337IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 188mgIron: 3mg
Keyword meatloaf
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34 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My husband hates meatloaf but LOVED this recipe so much. It’s so good with all the cheddar and bacon!

  2. 5 stars
    I just made this meat loaf yesterday – was the best meat loaf I have ever made. I doubles the recipe and I also did add to it 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 tsp Italian Seasoning, and I used 1 lb each ground pork, ground beef and ground turkey – that’s 3 lbs of meat – so my recipe was doubled. After baking about 40 minutes I put some hickory and brown sugar bar-b-que sauce on top and baked about 15 more minutes – I also used to small bread pans and got to put one baked meatlaof in the freezer. Sure makes a delicious meatloaf sandwich.

4.62 from 36 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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