Guilt-free Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Recipe Video

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck and next 8 ingredients, mixing well.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and mustard. Stir 1/4 cup ketchup mixture into meat mixture, reserving remaining ketchup mixture.

Press meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan, or shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a broiler pan. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Bake 40 minutes. Top with French fried onions; bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.

Here’s the skinny:

Use a lean ground beef. The number is meat to fat ratio. An 80/20 ground beef means it is 80% beef to 20% fat. That is a HUGE amount of fat – more than most people realize. By using 96/4 ground beef, you are still getting a little fat, but you’re mostly getting the great protein of beef without clogging your arteries, which is exactly what animal fat does. Your meatloaf won’t be dry – you have a sauce in it and on it. You will still wind up with a moist, flavorful meatloaf.

I used reduced fat real bacon pieces instead of frying up bacon. The fat content of these bacon pieces is minuscule compared to frying up your own bacon. You still get that salty bite without the guilt. No to mention you save a lot of time and cleanup as well!

By using fat-free cheddar cheese, again, you are saving a lot of calories and fat. Fat-free cheese doesn’t melt as well as its reduced-fat and full-fat counterparts, but this cheese is going inside the meatloaf, not the outside. If it were on the outside, you may want to have a gooier cheese, but with it being on the inside, it melts well enough where you can’t taste the difference.

Egg substitute is a great way to save fat and cholesterol. The substitute works as a binder to keep your meatloaf together without the extra “goodies”.

Whenever I have the chance, I use whole grains. Your body processes them easier and isn’t empty carbs, like their white bread counterpart. It is all mixed in together – you won’t even know they are in there!

Mayonnaise is delicious – for a good reason. It is loaded with fat and calories. By using fat-free mayo or whipped salad dressing, your heart will say “thank you!!!”

Lastly, I reduced the amount of French fried onions. You don’t need a full can of onions to get the taste and flavor. By reducing the amount of onions you use, you get the same great crunch and taste without going overboard. You don’t miss it.
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