Jalapeno Maple Bacon Meatloaf Mini’s is what’s for dinner. I know, I know, they say bacon is not that good for you. But is it not that good for you because it is full of nitrates? Because I would agree, nothing with nitrates are good for you. Or are they really all that bad? There is some controversy over whether nitrates and nitrites are as bad for you as you have been led to believe. You can read about the nitrate controversy here. I’m still a little unsure, so I bought nitrate-free organic bacon. And I’m not advocating bacon everyday because it still has an extremely high saturated fat content but a little bacon every now and then is okay. I mean, who doesn’t love bacon? I read a t-shirt once that said ‘Everything’s Better with Bacon’. I’m not sure I agree, but it is awfully tasty on this new recipe I created.
Mini Jalapeno Maple Bacon Meatloaf’s are perfect for a dinner party.
These meatloaf mini’s are about the size of a medium potato, so they really are perfect for serving at a casual dinner party where every guest receives their own individual meatloaf wrapped in a blanket of bacon.
And don’t let the word ‘jalapeno’ scare you. It adds just a slight amount of kick but not enough heat to really notice. If you like things extra spicy you could always add a few extra peppers into the mix or throw in the seeds, where a lot of the heat resides. I always remove them because I like a little kick but not that much. And be careful when you are handling peppers. The oil from the seeds can be extremely potent! I learned the hard way. I was making salsa one summer, cut open the jalapeno peppers and got some of the oil on my fingers. I then proceeded to wipe my eye. That was a BIG mistake! It literally burned for days, so be extra careful when you are handling spicy peppers!
For those of us who suffer from Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, you must be very careful when it comes to eating meatloaf. Most meatloaf, especially in restaurants or at someone else’s house for that matter, will most likely have bread crumbs in the loaf. I decided to substitute quinoa flakes and they worked very well in helping hold them together.
Mold the meatloaf mini’s in the shape of a potato and wrap each one in a half a slice of bacon (I had pretty thick bacon, so I pulled the slices a bit to try to stretch the fibers).Then baste each loaf in a small amount of pure maple syrup.
I did have to turn the broiler on for a few minutes at the end of baking in order to fully cook the bacon. You may or may not have to do this depending on how thick your bacon is to begin with. Serve them with my caramelized root vegetable dish and my Asian Pear Salad to make a perfect meal.
Jalapeno Maple Bacon Meatloaf Mini’s
Print recipe
| Serves | 6 |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 40 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hour |
| Dietary | Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Paleo |
| Meal type | Main Dish |
Ingredients
- 1lb Hamburger (preferably organic grass-fed)
- 1/2lb Spicy Italian Sausage (preferably organic)
- 1 Large Egg (preferably free-range)
- 1/2 cup Quinoa Flakes (generally found in the cereal section)
- 5 medium slices Bacon (preferably organic- reserve 3 slices for wrapping)
- 1 Medium Jalapeno Pepper (seeded and diced)
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup (reserve one tablespoon for basting)
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Celery Seed
Note
I didn't pre-cook the bacon that went inside the meatloaf but I found it didn't cook that well during the oven time. I would recommend cooking it before adding it to the uncooked mixture.
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Take two strips of bacon and cut into small pieces. Slice open jalapeno pepper and remove seeds, dice. | |
| Step 2 | |
| In a large bowl combine hamburger, spicy Italian sausage, egg, quinoa flakes, chopped bacon, diced jalapeno pepper, garlic, maple syrup (reserving 1 TBSP) and spices. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Form six individual mini loaves in the shape of a potato and place on a plain cookie sheet or one that has been covered in parchment paper. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Take remaining three slices of bacon and cut them in half. Place a slice around the middle of each loaf. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Baste each bacon slice with the remaining maple syrup. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes at the end to cook bacon thoroughly if needed. | |
This recipe was shared on the following blogs: TheDIYDreamer
I don’t eat meat, but I love making lentil loafs. I have never thought to add jalapenos to it, though. Thanks for the idea!
You’re welcome. I love lentils, so if you try that, let me know how they turned out.
Oh my, these look delicious! I am going to have to give these a try. Are they hot from the jalapenos? I have a couple of kids that don’t do well with hot food. 🙂 Maybe I can substitute it with a more mile pepper for them.
ild peppers would be fine, or separate your meat mixture in two bowls and add the jalapenos to only one.
Laurie, my husband would just love these! Being Canadian, bacon and meat are his favourite things. He’s also on a high protein high fat/low carb diet at the moment, so these would work well. 🙂
We ate them for dinner and then lunch the next day. So tasty, I hope he gets a chance to try them.
oh wow these look absolutely delicious, I am so hungry right now I could eat an elephant
I bet they would taste better than an elephant! 😉
That looks so yummy! I want to try.
I hope you do! It was very delicious and quite easy to make.
These look delicious! My best friend just found out she had celiacs so I’m sharing your blog with her!
I’m glad you can pass it along. I hope she will find some recipes here that work well for her.
I am literally salivating at the mouth staring at this post. I need to try!
Yep, bacon looks great on everything.
Wow! I think you’ll win over even the toughest meatloaf critic with these!
You might be right! 😉
My husband would love if I made these!
Something about that bacon makes people think of their husbands! 😉
My dad would love this. He loves jalapenos.
If he loves jalapenos he would probably want to add a few more. These really are not that hot.
Incredible dish my hubby (who loves jalapenos) will really love! Thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome, Cara! I hope he does enjoy them!
Oh my. I just sent this to everyone I know. Wow. Yum.
Thanks! I hope you all enjoy them.
Oh my goodness! So delicious!!
Yep, bacon makes pretty much anything delicious!
i’ve never made meatloaf, but i love mini everything and my husband would absolutely LOVE these.
I hope you get a chance to make them for him!
oh my gosh I can imagine how bad that must have burned!! My FIL makes something similar but without the bacon – these look delicious!
Yes, it hurt like crazy, but I learned my lesson!
I just made Ina Garten’s meatloaf on Sunday. This just blew mine out of the water!
I like meatloaf because it reheats so great.
Those look delicious! If only I could cook!
I have step by step instructions. It’s pretty easy!
Bacon wrapped meatloaf….definitely looks yummy! Last time I wrapped bacon over zucchini boats stuffed with hamburger meat/zucchini mix topped with cheese. It was good.
Yum! That does sound delicious!
That looks so yummy. I showed it to my husband and he said when are you going to make that.
Yep, something about meatloaf, bacon, and heat. The true way to a man’s heart.
That’s so creative and it looks very tasty! Your photos were so good as well, this post actually made me hungry. Not sure I’ve ever made meatloaf though!
It’s very easy to make and quite honestly, tastes a little like a well seasoned hamburger patty.
you are an amazing chef laurie! =) the photos are great as well!
Awe, thank you! My mama taught me well. 😉