Pioneer Woman Meatloaf Recipe: Easy, Flavorful, and Freezer-Friendly

The Pioneer Woman Meatloaf recipe is a classic comfort food that’s incredibly easy to make and packed with flavor. Inspired by Ree Drummond’s iconic style, this meatloaf is wrapped in bacon, brushed with a tangy homemade sauce, and is perfect for family dinners or meal prepping. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a beginner, this recipe will guide you through creating a moist, delicious meatloaf that everyone will love. Plus, it freezes beautifully, making it a fantastic option for future meals.

Meatloaf over mashed potatoes with a homemade ketchup sauce drizzled on top

Have you ever wished you could cook in a spacious, sunlit kitchen like The Pioneer Woman? While we might not all have a sprawling ranch kitchen, we can certainly bring some of her comforting, home-style cooking into our own homes. This bacon-wrapped meatloaf recipe is a perfect example. The bacon not only adds incredible flavor as it cooks and bastes the meatloaf with its juices, but it also helps keep the meatloaf moist and adds a delightful smoky dimension to the dish.

Choosing the Right Meat for Your Meatloaf

Selecting the right meat is crucial for achieving the best texture and flavor in your meatloaf. Here’s what you need to know:

80/20 Ground Beef: For a juicy and flavorful meatloaf, 80% lean ground beef is ideal. The fat content is essential to prevent the meatloaf from drying out during baking. Using leaner ground beef can result in a drier, less tender meatloaf.
Meatloaf Mix (Beef, Pork, and Veal): For an even more tender and flavorful meatloaf, consider using a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal. This blend provides a wonderful depth of flavor and a more delicate texture. Typically, a mix of 1/3 pound of each type of meat is recommended. Many grocery stores now offer pre-packaged meatloaf mixes in the meat section, simplifying your shopping. This combination is often labeled as “meatball and meatloaf mix.”

Pro Tip: Explore your local butcher or grocery store for pre-mixed meatloaf blends. These mixes save time and offer a balanced combination of meats specifically designed for meatloaf.

The Best Bread for Meatloaf: Softness Matters

The type of bread you use in your meatloaf significantly impacts its final texture. Here’s a guide to choosing the best bread:

Soft White Sandwich Bread: The Pioneer Woman and many home cooks favor soft white sandwich bread for meatloaf. Its soft texture allows it to blend seamlessly into the ground meat mixture, creating a more uniform and tender consistency. The breadcrumbs created from soft bread act as a binder and help retain moisture.
Artisan or Crusty Bread (with adjustments): While soft bread is preferred, you can use artisan or crusty bread if that’s what you have on hand. However, you’ll need to ensure it’s properly soaked in milk or water to soften it completely before mixing it with the meat. Crusty bread can sometimes lead to a slightly coarser texture in the meatloaf.

For this Pioneer Woman Meatloaf recipe, sticking with soft white sandwich bread will yield the most authentic and delicious results, ensuring a moist and tender loaf.

Avoiding Overmixing: Gentle is Key

When making meatloaf, it’s important to mix the ingredients thoroughly but gently. Overmixing ground beef can lead to a tougher, less flavorful meatloaf.

Uniform Consistency, Gentle Handling: Aim for a uniform consistency when mixing your meatloaf ingredients. You want everything to be well combined, but avoid overworking the meat. Think of gently incorporating the ingredients rather than vigorously mixing them.
Why Overmixing is Detrimental: Overmixing ground beef develops the proteins, resulting in a denser, tougher texture when cooked. It can also make the meat slightly less flavorful as the fat and moisture can be squeezed out.

Handle the meat mixture with a light touch. Use your hands to gently combine the ingredients until just mixed. This will ensure a tender and flavorful Pioneer Woman Meatloaf.

Make-Ahead and Freezing Instructions for Meatloaf

One of the great advantages of meatloaf is its make-ahead and freezer-friendly nature. This makes it perfect for busy weeknights or batch cooking.

Make-Ahead Meatloaf: You can fully assemble your meatloaf ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. Simply wrap the unbaked meatloaf tightly in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it overnight. Bake as directed when you’re ready to cook.
Freezing Unbaked Meatloaf: Meatloaf is excellent for freezing before cooking. Wrap the assembled loaf tightly in foil and then place it in a freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before baking as instructed.

Pro Tip: Consider making a double batch of meatloaf. Bake one for dinner and freeze the other for a future meal. You can also divide a large meatloaf in half before freezing for smaller portions.

Reheating Cooked Meatloaf: Two Easy Methods

Cooked meatloaf is also freezer-friendly, making leftovers or pre-cooked portions easy to reheat.

Reheating in the Oven: Wrap the cooked, cooled meatloaf in foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated through, usually about 20-30 minutes. This method helps retain moisture and flavor.
Microwave Reheating (Quick Method): For a faster reheat, you can defrost the cooked meatloaf in the refrigerator overnight and then microwave it until heated through. Microwave in intervals, checking frequently to avoid drying it out.

Broiler Pan Substitutes: Simple Solutions

A broiler pan is ideal for cooking meatloaf as it allows excess grease to drain away, preventing the bottom of the meatloaf from becoming soggy. If you don’t have a broiler pan, here are effective substitutes:

Cookie Sheet Only (Requires Draining): You can place the meatloaf directly on a cookie sheet. However, you will need to periodically remove the cookie sheet from the oven and carefully drain off the accumulated grease during the cooking process. This method is a bit more hands-on and requires caution when handling hot grease.
Cooling Rack on a Roasting Pan (Recommended): A highly effective substitute is using a cooling rack placed inside a roasting pan or cookie sheet with sides.
- Setup: Place a cooling rack on top of a roasting pan.
- Foil Lining (Optional but helpful): Line the cooling rack with aluminum foil to prevent the meatloaf from falling through the rack.
- Poke Holes for Drainage: Pierce several small holes in the foil to allow fat to drain into the roasting pan below.

Important Note: When using the cooling rack and foil method, be aware that the bacon on the bottom of the meatloaf, resting on the foil, may not crisp up as much as it would on a traditional broiler pan. However, this method still effectively drains grease and prevents a soggy bottom.

Bacon or No Bacon? Customizing Your Meatloaf

While this Pioneer Woman Meatloaf recipe is designed with a delicious bacon wrap, you can certainly make it without bacon if you prefer.

Meatloaf Without Bacon: If you choose to omit the bacon, the recipe will still be flavorful and moist. You may need to slightly adjust the baking time, reducing the overall cooking time by approximately 10-15 minutes. Start checking for doneness around 55-60 minutes of total baking time.

Meatloaf sliced on a wooden cutting board with fresh parsley sprinkled on top and homemade ketchup sauce in background

Essential Tools for Pioneer Woman Meatloaf

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Broiler Pan – For optimal grease drainage during baking.
Cooling Rack – A versatile tool, especially useful as a broiler pan substitute.
Roasting Pan – To use with a cooling rack for effective grease drainage.
Large Mixing Bowl – For easily combining meatloaf ingredients.
Meat Thermometer – To ensure your meatloaf reaches a safe internal temperature.

What to Serve with Pioneer Woman Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a versatile main course that pairs well with a variety of side dishes. Consider these classic and comforting accompaniments:

Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes are a quintessential side for meatloaf, perfect for soaking up the delicious sauce.
Roasted Green Beans: A simple and healthy side, roasted green beans add a touch of freshness and color to your meal.
Mac and Cheese: For an extra indulgent meal, serve meatloaf with creamy mac and cheese.
Glazed Carrots: Sweet and savory glazed carrots complement the richness of the meatloaf beautifully.
Side Salad: A fresh garden salad provides a light and refreshing contrast to the hearty meatloaf.

Explore More Delicious Dinner Recipes!

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The Pioneer Woman Meatloaf Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Yields: 8 servings
Rating: 4.9 stars (based on 46 ratings)

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This Pioneer Woman Meatloaf Recipe is truly a standout! Wrapped entirely in bacon and baked to juicy perfection, it’s a comforting and flavorful dish that’s also freezer-friendly for convenient meal planning. Serve it with roasted green beans and mashed potatoes for a complete and satisfying meal.

Ingredients

Meatloaf Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Milk
6 slices White Bread, crusts removed
2 pounds Ground Beef (80% lean)
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
3/4 teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1/3 cup Fresh Parsley, minced
4 large Eggs, beaten
12 slices Thin-cut Bacon

Sauce Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Ketchup
1/3 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
1 dash Tabasco sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Soak Bread: In a large mixing bowl, place the white bread slices and pour milk over them. Let the bread soak for about 5 minutes, until softened.
Combine Meatloaf Ingredients: Add ground beef, Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, minced parsley, and beaten eggs to the bowl with the soaked bread.
Mix Gently: Use your hands to gently combine all meatloaf ingredients. Ensure the soaked bread is well incorporated, but avoid overmixing the meat.
Shape Meatloaf: Form the mixture into a loaf shape, approximately 5 inches wide. Place the loaf on a broiler pan to allow fat to drain during baking. Lining the bottom of the broiler pan with foil makes cleanup easier.
Wrap with Bacon: Lay bacon slices over the top of the meatloaf, tucking the ends underneath the bottom of the loaf to secure them. Arrange bacon slices to touch but not overlap for easy slicing after cooking.
Prepare Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, and Tabasco sauce until well combined.
First Sauce Layer: Brush about 1/3 of the sauce evenly over the bacon-wrapped meatloaf.
Bake: Bake the meatloaf on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
Second Sauce Layer: Remove the meatloaf from the oven and brush another 1/3 of the sauce over it.
Continue Baking: Return the meatloaf to the oven and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
Rest: Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Resting allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and moist meatloaf. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C) in the center of the loaf.
Serve: Slice and serve the Pioneer Woman Meatloaf with the remaining sauce. It pairs wonderfully with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans.

Recipe Notes

Make-Ahead Instructions: Assemble the meatloaf as directed, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil, and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. You can also freeze the assembled, unbaked meatloaf for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.

Freezing Cooked Meatloaf: Allow cooked meatloaf to cool completely. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through, about 20-30 minutes.

Love Meatloaf Recipes? Also try my Mini Meatloaf recipe for individual portions!

Nutrition Information

Nutritional values are estimates and may vary based on specific ingredients used.

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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Recipe Author: Stephanie
Recipe Source: The Pioneer Woman

Categories: Beef Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Freezer Food Recipes, Make Ahead Recipes, Meatloaf Recipes, Pioneer Woman Recipes

Published by Stephanie on October 25, 2018 — 183 Comments