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thehungryhungryhiker

BBQ Bacon Meatloaf

A hearty, flavorful, and unique take on classic meatloaf featuring BBQ sauce. Whole30, paleo, and free from gluten, dairy, soy, and sugar!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the meatloaf:
  • ½ lb bacon, cut into lardons check labels for Whole30
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • ½ lb ground turkey
  • 1 yellow onion, medium diced small
  • 1 carrot, large peeled and shredded
  • 2 stalks celery diced small
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 + ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ¼ cup almond flour
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅓ cup BBQ Sauce
  • 1 + ½ tsp dijon mustard
  • dried parsley for garnish, optional
For the gravy:
  • pan drippings from meatloaf (roughly ⅓ cup)
  • 1 tbsp reserved bacon fat from above
  • ¼ cup BBQ Sauce
  • ½ - 1 tsp tapioca flour

Method
 

Make the meatloaf:
  1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
  2. Add the bacon to a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Saute for 10-12 minutes until bacon starts to color and release some fat. You do not want to cook it until crisp! Remove half of the bacon and place it in a large bowl. Continue cooking the other half of the bacon until crispy and cooked through to your liking. Remove and set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 1 tbsp bacon fat in a small bowl for later use.
  3. While the rest of the bacon finishes cooking, add all of the remaining meatloaf ingredients except the dried parsley to the bowl and use your hands to mix to combine. Add the mixture to a large loaf pan (I used a 1.5 quart glass loaf pan 5" x 9"). Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet (in case it bubbles over; mine did not, but better safe than sorry) and bake at 375° F for 55-60 minutes until juices run clear and meatloaf is cooked through. Let rest 10 minutes before carefully removing the meatloaf from the loaf pan and placing on a serving platter.
Make the gravy:
  1. Scrape off any bits that have been cooked on to the loaf pan. Pour the cooking juices into a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the 1 tbsp reserved bacon fat and ¼ cup BBQ Sauce and whisk with a fork to combine. Let simmer 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the tapioca flour ¼ tsp at a time until the gravy has thickened to your liking. Remove from heat.
  2. To serve, place one slice of meatloaf on a plate and top with the gravy and sprinkle with the reserved bacon bits. Garnish with parsley if desired and enjoy hot! I like to serve my meatloaf with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables on the side.