Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf: juicy patties, melty cheese, and classic burger fixings scaled for parties and game day.
All the Cheeseburger Fixings, Reimagined as a Loaf
A plant-forward take on a bacon cheeseburger that stacks smoky tempeh bacon, melty cheese, and lentil 'meat' into one party-ready loaf.
If you love the idea of a juicy cheeseburger but want something make-ahead and vegetable-forward for game day or a casual dinner, this loaf is the solution. It delivers the familiar trio of savory, smoky and melty in one easy package: a brown-lentil base that bites like a patty, pockets of cheese that ooze when you slice, and smoky tempeh bacon for that unmistakable bacon edge.
The trick is in the building blocks. Cooked brown lentils give the loaf body without turning to mush, while a sautéed mixture of onion, carrot, celery and cremini mushrooms brings moisture, sweetness and umami—cook them until their liquid has mostly evaporated so the loaf doesn’t get soggy. Panko and a single egg hold everything together, and a splash of vegetarian Worcestershire deepens the savory note. Fry the tempeh bacon until crisp, reserve a few strips for the top, and chop the rest into the mix for smoky bites throughout.
A couple of small technique notes make a big difference: let the lentils cool slightly before combining so they don’t break down, and consider chilling the formed loaf for 15–20 minutes before baking to help it keep a clean slice. You can assemble this a day ahead and either bake straight from the fridge or bake, cool, and reheat—both work well for entertaining.
Serve it like a deconstructed burger: sliced thin with pickles, sliced tomato, shredded lettuce and your favorite condiments, or go rustic with oven fries and a simple green salad. Expect crisp, caramelized edges, a tender, meaty interior and satisfying pockets of melted cheese—everything you want from a cheeseburger, scaled up and made mostly from plants.
Ingredients
How to Make Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
- Rinse the lentils and place them in a medium saucepan with 2 1/2 cups water; bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender but not mushy, 20–25 minutes; drain any excess and set aside to cool slightly.
- While the lentils cook, finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and mince the garlic; heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrot and celery until softened, 5–6 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic to the skillet and continue cooking until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates, about 4–5 minutes; season lightly with 1/4 tsp of the salt and a pinch of pepper, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and fry the tempeh bacon over medium-high heat until edges are crisp, about 2–3 minutes per side; remove, cool slightly, and chop into 1/2-inch pieces, reserving a few strips for the top.
- Roughly chop the walnuts and grate or shred the cheddar; add the cooked lentils, chopped tempeh bacon (reserve some for topping), walnuts, panko, egg, vegetarian Worcestershire, Dijon, 3/4 of the cheddar, parsley, remaining salt and pepper to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables; mix until combined but not pureed—use a fork or your hands to press the mixture together.
- Turn the mixture into a lined 9x5-inch loaf pan or shape into a freeform loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet; press firmly so it holds together, then top with the remaining cheddar and the reserved tempeh bacon strips.
- Whisk together the ketchup and a scant 1/2 tbsp Dijon and brush the glaze evenly over the top of the loaf.
- Bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven until firm and the top is lightly browned, 35–40 minutes; if the top browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Let the loaf rest at least 10 minutes before slicing to set the texture; garnish with additional chopped parsley and serve warm—pairs well with a green salad, steamed vegetables or buns for an open-faced cheeseburger-style sandwich.
Recipe Card
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf: juicy patties, melty cheese, and classic burger fixings scaled for parties and game day.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils and place them in a medium saucepan with 2 1/2 cups water; bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender but not mushy, 20–25 minutes; drain any excess and set aside to cool slightly.
- While the lentils cook, finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and mince the garlic; heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrot and celery until softened, 5–6 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic to the skillet and continue cooking until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates, about 4–5 minutes; season lightly with 1/4 tsp of the salt and a pinch of pepper, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and fry the tempeh bacon over medium-high heat until edges are crisp, about 2–3 minutes per side; remove, cool slightly, and chop into 1/2-inch pieces, reserving a few strips for the top.
- Roughly chop the walnuts and grate or shred the cheddar; add the cooked lentils, chopped tempeh bacon (reserve some for topping), walnuts, panko, egg, vegetarian Worcestershire, Dijon, 3/4 of the cheddar, parsley, remaining salt and pepper to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables; mix until combined but not pureed—use a fork or your hands to press the mixture together.
- Turn the mixture into a lined 9x5-inch loaf pan or shape into a freeform loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet; press firmly so it holds together, then top with the remaining cheddar and the reserved tempeh bacon strips.
- Whisk together the ketchup and a scant 1/2 tbsp Dijon and brush the glaze evenly over the top of the loaf.
- Bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven until firm and the top is lightly browned, 35–40 minutes; if the top browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Let the loaf rest at least 10 minutes before slicing to set the texture; garnish with additional chopped parsley and serve warm—pairs well with a green salad, steamed vegetables or buns for an open-faced cheeseburger-style sandwich.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 45
- Saturated Fat
- 7.5
- Sodium
- 700
- Fiber
- 12
- Unsaturated Fat
- 26
- Protein
- 32
- Fat
- 35
- Cholesterol
- 85
- Trans Fat
- 0.2
- Calories
- 633
- Sugar
- 6