Keto Bacon Wrapped Mini Meatloaf is a “go-to” appetizer for any low-carb or keto lifestyle. It is simple to prepare, full of flavor, and a melt-in-your mouth comfort food. Yes, it is “finger-food.” But, you can also make this as a meal. It could serve as virtually any meal of the day. There are a lot of similar wrapped bacon recipes on the Internet; however, Joanie’s creation adds a few tasty twists and changes an often bland recipe into a Tasty Low Carb classic!
Tasty Low Carb Barbecue Sauce
Rather than a traditional beefy meatloaf taste, Joanie kicks this one up a notch by using ground Italian hot sausage in the mix. She even enhances the recipe by using barbecue sauce as a garnish. Skip the store-bought Keto barbecue sauces – they lack taste. Instead, try our delicious sugar-free Tasty Low Carb Barbecue Sauce.
Our barbecue sauce is much much more than the base ingredients. Its complexity is found in the variation of spices. We like garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard to start the seasoning process. The mustard balances the tomato flavor well. We only use stone-ground mustard since it has the “kick” for sauces. We find that a strong helping of black pepper and just a pinch of cayenne are also great complements. For smokiness we use a combination of liquid smoke and chipotle powder. The liquid smoke is so necessary!
Keto Barbecue Sauce – Sweet and Smoky is a perfect sauce! It will keep for a couple weeks in your refrigerator and will also freeze well. We make a bigger batch than shown in the recipe and freeze a good portion in zip-lock bags. It will keep for 2-3 months in the freezer and be ready when you need it for grilling or other recipes. Try our recipe by clicking Keto Barbecue Sauce.
Ingredients
This is really a meatloaf recipe. We are just not forming it into a classic loaf. However, this meatloaf recipe blend uses a combination of ground beef and ground hot Italian sausage. You can use regular ground pork, if it is handy; however, why not “kick it up a notch.” Although Joanie is the Keto chef in the family, this was my suggestion. I used to make a classic “Sloppy Joe” mix with Italian hot sausage. I called it a “Keto Sloppy Giuseppe.” You get the idea!
Joanie added two other flavorful ingredients to enhance the meatloaf mix, and to keep with the theme. Her recipe calls for a small amount of our sugar-free barbecue sauce right in the mix. It really makes the recipe! Another flavor secret is using a brown sugar substitute for that maple sweet taste. Our favorite is Sukrin Gold – we use it in a lot of recipes calling for brown sugar. You skip the carbs, and yet add the right amount of sweetness. This little bit of maple flavor also adds a lot to the sauce.
Preparation Tips
You can make the recipe as an appetizer or as a regular meal. Simply use a mini-muffin tin for an appetizer and a regular muffin tin for a meal. You will have to adjust the size of the bacon for wrapping and may have to double the recipe for a larger meal version, but either way, it is delicious. Plus, you would have to increase the cook time. Joanie chose to make mini-loaf appetizers for this recipe. They are the perfect Keto snack.
As with most meatloaf recipes, make sure that you do not mix it too much, as it will toughen the finished appetizer. Another tip would be to trim your bacon strips as needed to surround the mini-loaves. We suggest a slight overlap, so that they will hold together as they bake. Twenty-minutes at 400 degrees should be enough to crisp the bacon. If you like a crispier bacon you could lightly pre-cook the bacon before trimming (just two minutes). Try it both ways and choose which way is best for you.
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Keto Bacon Wrapped Mini Meatloaf – An Easy Delicious Appetizer
Keto Bacon Wrapped Mini Meatloaf is an easy to make and delicious appetizer. It will add so much to your appetizer recipe box. Imagine a plate of mini-meatloaf appetizers with a cold one this summer. Try our mini-meatloaf appetizer dunked in our delicious Keto Barbecue Sauce. It is the perfect Tasty Low Carb appetizer!
Keto Bacon Wrapped Mini Meatloaf
Ingredients
- ¾ pound Ground beef (85-15 blend)
- ¼ pound Italian hot sausage (ground)
- 4 cloves Garlic (chopped)
- ⅓ cup Onion (diced)
- 1 teaspoon Sukrin Gold
- 3 tablespoons Parsley (finely chopped)
- 3 tablespoons Keto Barbecue Sauce (Tasty Low Carb Recipe)
- 8 slices Bacon (for wrapping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl combine the beef, sausage, garlic, onion, and Sukrin Gold, half of the barbecue sauce, and parsley. Mix by hand until thoroughly blended.
- Form the mix into 24 portions into the shape of the mini-muffin pan and set aside.
- Wrap the individually mixed loaf ingredients with a small slice of bacon (trimmed as needed) so the bacon slighlty overlaps at the end. Then place each wrapped mini-loaf in the muffin tin.
- Top each mini-loaf with a dab of Keto Tasty Low Carb Barbecue Sauce and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
- Remove and plate. Top with chopped parsley – more barbecue sauce -serve hot.
Chef’s Notes
- If you prefer a larger portion for a meal instead of finger-food double the recipe and use a larger muffin pan. You will have to add 10-15 minutes more to the baking time.
- Make sure the bacon you buy is labeled “Gluten Free.”
Nutrition
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