Sheet Pan Smoky Meatloaf
A free-form bacon and cheddar meatloaf with a sticky smoked paprika glaze, roasted on one pan with baby potatoes. More crust per slice than a loaf tin, and no second pan to wash.
Sheet Pan Smoky Meatloaf
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 2 lb (900 g) ground beef, 80/20
- 6 slices bacon, diced small
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 small onion, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Glaze
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
Potatoes
- 1 ½ lb (700 g) baby potatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, to serve
Instructions
- Prep the pan.
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack or a crumpled-foil ridge down the centre if you have one. Toss the potatoes with the oil and salt and spread them around the edges of the pan.
- Soak the panko.
Stir the panko and milk together in a large bowl and leave for 5 minutes, until the crumbs have swelled.
- Mix the meatloaf.
Add the eggs, onion, garlic, cheddar, Worcestershire, paprika, salt and pepper to the bowl and mix. Add the beef and bacon and fold together with your hands for just under a minute, until evenly combined. Overmixing makes a dense loaf.
- Shape.
Turn the mixture onto the middle of the pan and shape it into a loaf about 10 inches long, 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high, with rounded edges.
- Glaze and bake.
Stir the glaze ingredients together. Brush a third over the loaf and bake for 30 minutes. Brush on half of what is left and bake for 10 minutes more, then add the final glaze and bake 8 to 10 minutes more, until the centre reads 160°F (71°C) and the potatoes are golden.
- Rest.
Rest the loaf on the pan for 10 minutes before slicing. Scatter the potatoes with parsley and serve with the pan juices spooned over.
Notes
Free-form shape: A loaf shaped by hand has more exposed surface than one baked in a tin, so more of it caramelises and the fat runs off into the pan instead of pooling.
Grate the onion: Grated onion melts into the meat. Chopped onion leaves crunchy pieces and releases pockets of water.
Use a thermometer: 160°F in the centre is the safe temperature for ground beef. Size and shape change the time.
Glaze in stages: Sugar burns at this oven heat, so the glaze goes on in three coats, with the heaviest coat near the end.
Leftovers: Cold slices make an excellent sandwich. Reheat covered at 325°F (160°C) to keep the slices from drying.
