Sweet Mandarin Meatloaf

Steps

• 1

  Place ground beef in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Dice the bacon slices and cook in a skillet until lightly browned. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.

  Ingredients

  • 2 Pound lean ground beef

  • 12 Slices peppered bacon

• 2

  Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent.

  Ingredients

  • 1 Large onion, diced

  • 6 Clove garlic, minced

  • 1 Large red bell pepper, diced

• 3

  Add to the ground beef along with the breadcrumbs, eggs, Traeger Beef Rub, milk, Worcestershire sauce, chopped cilantro, and 1/3 cup Mandarin sauce. Mix well to blend all ingredients.

  Ingredients

  • 1 Cup breadcrumbs

  • 2 Large eggs

  • 2 Teaspoon Traeger Beef Rub

  • 1/3 Cup milk

  • 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1/2 Cup cilantro, chopped, for garnish

  • 1/3 Cup mandarin orange sauce

• 4

  Cover and place the beef mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Mold the beef into a large round.

• 5

  When ready to cook, set Traeger temperature to 225°F and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke if available. Carefully place the loaf on a cooling rack placed on top of an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet.

  225 ˚F / 107 ˚C

  Super Smoke

• 6

  Close lid and smoke on the Traeger for 1 hour. After an hour of smoke, turn the Traeger temperature up to 300°F and cook until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.

  300 ˚F / 149 ˚C

  160 ˚F / 71 ˚C

• 7

  Carefully slide the meatloaf onto a plate and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before dusting with more chopped cilantro. Slice and serve. Enjoy!