Bacon-Wrapped Buffalo Style Meatloaf

Ingredients

• Meatloaf:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, cubed
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 fresh poblano pepper, chopped (Optional)
• 4 button mushrooms, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 pounds ground buffalo
• 7 slices thick-cut bacon, or more as needed
• Glaze:
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (Optional)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (Optional)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (Optional)

Step 1

Warm your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a large skillet, melt some butter over medium heat, then add the chopped bacon. Cook it until it’s almost crispy, which should take about 5 to 10 minutes. While that’s going, pulse the onion, carrot, celery, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor until everything is finely chopped.

Step 2

Add the chopped veggies and some rosemary to the bacon in the skillet, and cook them together until the vegetables soften and get a bit sweeter, around 5 minutes. In a bowl, combine the cooked veggie mixture with breadcrumbs and milk, then let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, stir in an egg, salt, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Finally, add your ground buffalo meat and mix everything well by hand until it’s fully combined.

Step 3

Transfer the meat mixture to your prepared baking dish and shape it into a loaf about 9 by 5 by 3 inches. Lay strips of bacon across the top, tucking the ends under the loaf to keep them in place. Mix together rice vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard to make a smooth glaze.

Step 4

Pop the meatloaf into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After that, brush the glaze over the top and keep baking for another 30 minutes or until the inside isn’t pink anymore. You can check with a meat thermometer—it should read 155°F. Once done, let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.