Hungry Harps: Cedar Plank BBQ Western Bacon Meatloaf

This Cedar Plank BBQ Western Bacon Meatloaf has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KingsfordFlavor #CollectiveBias

Every year we have a 4th of July party to celebrate Independence Day with fun, food and fireworks. This year we have a new addition to our get-together - a charcoal grill! Although we've had a gas grill for years {and it works great}, I'm ok with leaving it to the side this holiday weekend. There is just something special about starting up the charcoals in a chimney starter, smelling the smoke in the air and tasting the flavor in our food that only charcoal-cooking can create. Of course I have to show off our new charcoal grill to friends and family on the 4th of July, so I created this Cedar Plank BBQ Western Bacon Meatloaf. This recipe is sure to wow a crowd and I can't wait to serve it at our party! It's a 2lb meatloaf loaded with tangy bbq sauce, crispy bacon, fried onions and sharp cheddar cheese - cooked on a cedar plank over fiery hot charcoal briquets. It can be sliced and easily served to a crowd, making it a perfect addition to our potluck-style celebration. {and the perfect opportunity to cook with charcoal on my new grill!}

I am a total charcoal-snob and will only use Kingsford Original Charcoal. It's a product I've used for over 15 years, with continued satisfaction. Kingsford uses real wood in their briquets, creating a fabulous smoky flavor that has become a staple in my homemade BBQd food. Their briquets light easy and burn hot and long - I've yet to find any other charcoal brands that compare to Kingsford!

I headed over to Home Depot today to pick up charcoal for our 4th of July bash and was stoked to see that they have the Kingsford Original Twinpack available right now for only $9.88! It's two 18.6lb bags of my all-time favorite charcoal, for over half-off the regular price - yeah, I was totally excited. The deal is running until July 6th, so don't waste any time and head on over to Home Depot for your charcoal needs!!

The Cedar Plank BBQ Western Bacon Meatloaf is actually quite easy to make! First, prepare a meat mixture and allow it to sit for about an hour. While the flavors of the meat mixture are melding it's the perfect time to soak your cedar plank board and fire up the grill. Make sure the plank board is soaked for at least an hour to prevent it from catching on fire. When everything is ready, shape the meatloaf on a 15” x 5½” board and brush with bbq sauce.

Then it's time to put the meatloaf on the grill! It's best to use an indirect method to avoid the meat from being overcooked. I created a ring of charcoal in my bbq and then placed the cedar plank right smack dab in the middle. After the meatloaf had cooked for about 20 minutes I topped it with cheese, fried onions and bacon and cooked for another 5-7 minutes. The cheese melted and the bacon + fried onions crisped up a little more, making this the most beautiful BBQd meatloaf I've ever seen!

For more recipes to cook on your charcoal grill, check out Kingsford's recipe collection!

Cedar Plank BBQ Western Bacon Meatloaf
{PRINTABLE RECIPE}
Ingredients
2lbs ground beef
1 cup bbq sauce - divided
¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded - divided
1 cup fried onions - divided
1½ cups cooked bacon, chopped

1 plank board {I used a 15” x 5½” board}, soaked for at least an hour

Directions
1 Combine ground beef, ½ cup bbq sauce, ¼ cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup cheddar cheese, ½ cup fried onions and 1 cup bacon until well incorporated. Let chill in fridge for at least an hour, a perfect time to soak the cedar plank board.
2 Start up your BBQ! I create a ring of charcoals in my bbq, leaving a circle in the middle to place the cedar plank. The idea is to not having any charcoals directly under the cedar plank.
3 On cedar plank board, form meatloaf about 4” wide and 12” long. Brush with remaining bbq sauce.
4 Place cedar plank on pre-warmed charcoal bbq. Cover lid and let cook for 20 minutes, checking a few times to make sure nothing crazy is going on underneath that hood!
5 Top with remaining cheese, fried onions and bacon. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
6 Remove from grill and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!