There are some meals that just feel like home, and meatloaf is definitely one of them at our house. My family loves my traditional meatloaf and never complains when it shows up on the dinner table, but every now and then, even a classic deserves a little makeover.

This BBQ Meatloaf takes everything we love about the original and turns up the flavor. Barbecue sauce is mixed right into the meatloaf and then layered on top with plenty of cheddar cheese, smoky bacon and crispy fried onions.

The result is a savory, cheesy, slightly smoky twist on a comfort-food favorite.

And here’s another reason to love it: this recipe is perfect for meal prep. Leftovers reheat beautifully, and the meatloaf freezes well, too. Make one for dinner tonight and tuck away a few portions for those busy days when having a homemade meal ready to go feels like a little gift to yourself.

Ingredients

  • 2 LBS Ground Sirloin (93/7 used in this recipe)
  • ¾ cup onions, finely diced
  • ½ cup green onions, finely diced
  • 1 TBS Olive Oil
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 ¼ cup BBQ sauce, divided
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
  • ¾ cup bread crumbs (Panko or Italian Bread Crumb)
  • ½ cup real bacon bits
  • 1 cup crispy fried onions

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
  2. Prep your ingredients. Shred cheese. Lightly beat eggs.
  3. Chop onions and green peppers. Add 1 TBS oil to a sauce pan. Sauté vegetables until translucent (5-6 minutes). Add red pepper flakes. Allow to cool.
  4. Add meat to a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, salt, pepper, cooled vegetables, ½ cup of BBQ sauce, and 1 cup cheese. Mix until just combined. Add bread crumbs and mix until just combined.
  5. Add meat mixture to baking sheet. Pat out into a rectangular shape to 1½ inches.
  6. Add ¾ cup BBQ sauce to top meatloaf. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese, ½ cup bacon, and 1 cup fried onions.
  7. Bake 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°

Food Fairy Tips

Don’t skip sautéing the vegetables. Cooking the onion and green pepper first softens them and brings out their sweetness. Just let them cool a little before adding them to the meat mixture.

Mix gently. Once you add the ground sirloin, mix everything only until combined. Overworking ground beef can give you a dense, tougher meatloaf.

Shape it on a baking sheet. Rather than using a loaf pan, shaping the meatloaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet gives you more surface area for that delicious BBQ sauce, cheese, bacon and crispy-onion topping. It also reduces your cooking time. This version is 1 ½ inches thick. You can make this into a traditional meatloaf shape—just increase your baking time.

Search for ingredients at FOOD CITY.

Simple recipes. Big flavor. Little fuss. Aneisa Rolen shares easy-to-follow recipes with companion videos, making home cooking approachable for every cook.

For more free recipes, visit www.foodfairyprep.com or follow Aneisa Rolen on Instagram or Facebook.

Enjoyed this article? Read more Dishing It Out with Aneisa Rolen.

This column is sponsored by Food City.

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