This Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Italian Meatloaf is the ultimate Keto comfort food. Savory ground beef and pork are mixed with classic Italian flavors, stuffed with mozzarella cheese and wrapped in a bacon weave to give it incredible flavor.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Recipe

• Savory mix of ground beef and pork
• Italian herbs, tomato, garlic and onions
• Wrapped in a bacon weave to give it incredible flavor
• Stuffed with gooey melted mozzarella cheese
• Perfect for meal prep

This is not your average dry and boring meatloaf by any means. Not only is it mixed with classic Italian flavors that set it apart from traditional meatloaf, but it’s wrapped in bacon. The bacon weave that covers this meatloaf slowly bastes it as it bakes in the oven, giving it incredible flavor while keeping it perfectly moist.

This Keto meatloaf is made similar to these Italian Meatballs, with all the same Italian flavors, but it doesn’t stop there. It’s then generously stuffed with mozzarella cheese because…well, why not?!?  I have a little trick that helps prevent the cheese from oozing out of the meatloaf as it cooks, that works like a charm!

This meatloaf is sure to impress anyone you serve it to. You will find yourself making it again and again and your family will be asking for it!

🛒 Ingredients for Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Meatloaf

• Ground beef
• Ground pork
• Uncured bacon
• Yellow onion
• Garlic
• Heavy whipping cream
• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Almond flour
• Eggs
• Tomato paste
• Dried parsley
• Garlic salt
• Fresh basil
• Ground black pepper

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

🥣 Recommended Tools

• Mixing bowl
• 9″ x 13″ casserole baking dish

🔪 How to Make Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

Slice each string cheese piece in half and place in the freezer for one hour or until frozen solid.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl add the eggs, parmesan cheese, almond flour, tomato paste, heavy cream, onions, garlic salt, basil, parsley and pepper, then mix well.

Add in the ground beef and pork, and mix until combined, but do not over mix.  Set the bowl aside and grab your bacon!

Lay out half of the strips of bacon vertically, very close together, on a cutting board or piece of parchment paper. Fold back every other piece of bacon and lay a strip of bacon tightly close to the piece running horizontally.

Put the folded pieces back and fold back the other set of bacon strips, adding another piece horizontally. Continue the process until you have used all the strips of bacon and it looks something like this.

Add half of the meatloaf mixture in a 9″ x 13″ casserole baking dish that’s been sprayed with olive oil. Place the frozen string cheese pieces down the center, leaving some space around the edges.

Add the remaining meatloaf mixture over the top, making sure all the edges are sealed.

Place the bacon weave over the top and tuck in the ends underneath the meatloaf.

Bake for 50-60 minutes and check during the last 15 minutes to make sure the bacon is not burning. If it’s getting too browned, cover with aluminum foil for the remaining cooking time.

Cooking times might vary depending on the thickness of the meatloaf. On average, it takes 1 hour, but be sure to check with a meat thermometer to make sure it’s cooked through.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest slightly before cutting into and serving.

☑️ Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze.

🍴 What to Serve with Keto Meatloaf

• Cheesy Roasted Asparagus
• Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Cauliflower
• Parmesan Baked Artichoke Hearts
• Easy Creamed Spinach
• Cauliflower Mushroom Risotto

💡 Tips for the Best Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

• Don’t skip freezing the mozzarella cheese sticks. The reason I freeze them first is to prevent them melting too quickly and oozing out of the meatloaf. This trick works like a charm, so make sure they are frozen solid, it’s worth the wait!
• Try not to overwork the meatloaf when mixing in the other ingredients because it can cause it to become too packed.
• You can make this in individual sized loaves and just wrap the bacon in a criss cross around the each one and adding in a small chunk of the frozen cheese. Adjust the cooking time as these will cook a lot faster.
• If you don’t feel like doing the bacon weave, you can just wrap each slice around the meatloaf. Just make sure the slices are slightly overlapping as they’ll shrink slightly as it bakes.

🔄 Substitutions and Additions

• You can used ground chicken in place of the beef but you’ll need the sausage for the extra flavor and fat.
• If you want to add extra veggies to your low carb meatloaf, try adding sautéed bell pepper or jalapeños.
• If you don’t have dried parsley, you can use 2 tablespoons of fresh instead.
• If you don’t have fresh basil, you can use 1 teaspoon of dried instead.
• If you like rosemary, you can add some in. Just use it sparingly, a little goes a long way.
• If you don’t have tomato paste you can use a sugar-free ketchup instead.
• If you don’t have mozzarella cheese, colby or monterey jack will also work well, just make sure you freeze it first.

Are There Carbs in Meatloaf?

The amount of carbs in traditional meat loaf comes from the breading that is typically used. Good news though! This Keto meatloaf doesn’t include any carby fillers making this an excellent recipe for anyone on Keto or low carb diets.

What is the best cheese to stuff meatloaf with?

For this recipe, in keeping with the Italian flavors, mozzarella cheese is best. It holds it’s shape well, has a milder flavor that won’t overpower the meatloaf and melts beautifully.

What is the one ingredient upgrade for better meatloaf?

Hands down, the bacon! Not only does it help lock in the juices to keep the meatloaf moist, but it slowly bastes the meatloaf as it renders its fat. It also gives the meatloaf that signature smoky flavor that you can only get from bacon!

What are common meatloaf mistakes to avoid?

Over-mixing the meatloaf is the most common mistake people make. This creates a more dense and tough texture that you don’t want in your meatloaf. This is why it’s best to mix all the ingredients without the meat mixture first, then gently mix in the meat at the last minute, without over-mixing it.

What is the secret to a great meat loaf?

Having the right ratio of “breadcrumbs”, eggs and cream or milk is key. Since this is a Keto friendly meatloaf, I use heavy cream and a combination of almond flour and parmesan cheese as the breadcrumbs, which works well. The parmesan cheese also gives great flavor to the meatloaf.

How long should I cook a stuffed meatloaf?

This meatloaf recipe takes about an hour to bake.

🍽️ More Keto Recipes with Bacon

• Pork Chops with Bacon Mushroom Gravy
• Brussels Sprouts with Hot Bacon Dressing
• Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
• Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos
• Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole
• Bacon Wrapped Roasted Chicken
• Broccoli Salad with Bacon