One of our favorite easy weeknight meals has to be The Pioneer Woman Meatloaf recipe! Let’s face it, we all want to be able to whip up a home cooked meal like Ree Drummond.

Post updated January 2022

Turns out she has a whole line of baking and kitchen supplies, so you can grab her meatloaf pan and add this meatloaf to your menu plan for this month!

Meatloaf is a perfect go to dinner idea, because most picky eaters do enjoy it. It’s also something you can make ahead of time and freeze, or simply make in the morning and store in the fridge until you’re ready to pop it in to the oven for dinner that night.

You can also make this meal low carb or keto friendly by using almond flour instead of bread crumbs, and you can even use ground turkey or ground chicken if you don’t happen to have ground beef on hand, or prefer those meats instead.

This recipe is so versatile and can be modified many ways, but using Ree Drummond’s classic Pioneer Woman meatloaf is a great start to know you’re on your way to cooking the perfect meatloaf for your family.

Why You’ll Love the Pioneer Woman’s Meatloaf Recipe

This meatloaf recipe is a unique twist on regular meatloaf because it’s wrapped in bacon.
It’s an easy meatloaf recipe to add to your weeknight meal plan.
You can make this meatloaf ahead of time and freeze or refrigerator to pop in the oven when it’s convenient for you!

Ingredients need to make Ree Drummond’s Pioneer Woman Meatloaf Recipe

1 cup 2% or whole milk
6 slices of white bread
2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp all-purpose seasoning
1/3 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup minced parsley
4 whole eggs
8-10 slices of thin bacon

How to make the sauce

1.5 cups ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Several dashes of hot sauce

How to Make The Pioneer Woman Meatloaf Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour milk over the bread and allow it to soak for about 3 minutes.

Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, salt, pepper, seasoned salt and parsley in a large mixing bowl.

Add in eggs and mix the ingredients until everything is well combined.

Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a foil-lined broiler pan, which will allow the fat from the meat to drain.

Lay the bacon slices over the top of meatloaf, taking care to tuck the ends underneath the sides of the meatloaf.

Instructions to make the sauce

Pour ketchup into a small mixing bowl.

Add brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir the mixture until well combined, and pour a third of the sauce on top of the meatloaf.

Bake for 45 minutes, and then pour over another third of the tomato sauce on top of the meatloaf. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove and let cool before serving.

Serve with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes for a complete weeknight comfort meal!

Can You Make Meatloaf Ahead of Time?

Yes! You can easily make meatloaf ahead of time so that you can bake it when you’re ready to eat it. One easy way to do this is to mix the ingredients, form the loaf, and add to a meat loaf pan.

Cover and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours, then pop it in the oven when you’re ready to bake! This could come in handy if you have kids and find it difficult to do all of meal prep at dinner time. Simply wake up in the morning and get the ingredients made and put in the fridge until you’re ready to put in the oven.

How to Freeze Meatloaf for Meal Prep

You can turn this meatloaf recipe into a freezer meal by prepping the loaf ahead of time, wrapping the loaf in foil to keep it’s shape, and placing in a zip top freezer bag.

Store the uncooked meatloaf in the freezer for 3-6 months. When you’re ready to make it follow these steps:

Remove foil wrapped meatloaf from freezer bag (you don’t need to thaw it, but you can thaw overnight in fridge if desired).
Keep meatloaf wrapped in foil to maintain loaf shape.
Place in a slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours.
Enjoy this easy meatloaf meal prep method!

You can also thaw the meatloaf overnight in the fridge, and then bake as usual, however I love the hands off approach of the slow cooker for busy weeknights!