Protein-packed smoked bacon mini meatloaf is a great snack or main meal served with mashed potatoes , salad or crunchy gherkins. This recipe is also low in carbohydrates and a perfect meal solution for a keto-friendly diet.
Why make my smoked bacon mini meatloaf?
- Good for energy (low carbohydrates, full of protein)
- Great as a snack (make them in a muffin cases) or a main meal (make them bigger as a small or large loafes)
- Great for freezing
- Use the basic recipe to vary flavours and make something different every time
Meatloaf Ingredients & Substitution
Minced meat
I’ve used minced beef meat to make my smoked bacon mini meatloaf, but lamb or other minced meats are fine too. They will just slightly alter the flavour of your final bake, but that just means you can use this recipe many times for different types of meat.
Make sure it’s freshly prepared and not previously frozen, so that (if you want) you can freeze your meatloaf muffins safely when they cool down.
Bacon
Any bacon will do, but smoked bacon will add extra flavour. Slice it to a rough 1 cm pieces to make sure it cooks through as the meatloaf bakes.
Bread Crumbs
You can use bread crumbs or savoury crackers crumbs bought from a shop, but you can also make your own from the leftovers of homemade bread. Leave a few slices to dry out naturally or in the oven and then crumble them with your fingers or through a plastic bag. Keep in a dry place for future use.
Flavourings
This can include anything from onion, oregano, garlic, mustard, ketchup, pepper and salt to other herbs. You are welcome to swap the flavouring ingredients in my recipe for the ones you have at home. Other flavours that work well with this recipe:
- Smoked Paprika Powder
- Thyme
- Flavoured sea salts
Tips on making this recipe successfully first time round
Cooking the onions, herbs and bacon separately before you mix them with the rest of the ingredients gives them a nice smokey flavour
Use good quality meat with high fat content. If you use cheaper versions, there will be more water in the meat which will come out during the cooking and actually make the meatloaf very dry. (Weird, right?)
More dishes with bacon
- Sausage & Bacon gnocchi >>
- Bacon Jerky >>
- Ramen Soup with Chicken & Bacon >>
- Dublin Coddle Stew (with bacon) >>
Smoked Bacon Mini Meatloaf
Equipment
- 4-6 mini loaf tins (cooking time will depend on the size)
Ingredients
- 500 grams minced beef or approx 1 pound
- 5-6 rashes smoked bacon chopped in smaller pieces
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup ketchup divided into 2 parts
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C or 350° F.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onion, chopped bacon pieces, dried oregano, and minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine onion mixture with about half of the ketchup and add the rest of the ingredients, including the meat and all the spices, seasoning and mustard.
- Spoon the meat mixture into the mini loaf tins coated with cooking spray or lined with greaseproof paper.
- Top each with the rest of the ketchup
- Bake at 180 C, 350° for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of your tins)
- Serve hot or leave to cool down to store for later.
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