Bacon Wrapped Chicken Meatloaf With A Cheesy, Mushroom Stuffing
Meatloaf is usually a boring, uninspiring entree, reserved for weeknight dinners when you can’t be bothered to get your creative juices flowing. Would you consider serving a meatloaf for a special occasion? With this showstopper, you certainly should! This meatloaf has it all – a juicy, flavorful chicken base with a cheesy, herby mushroom stuffing and it’s all wrapped up in crisp, golden bacon.
Unlike duck, lamb or prime rib – which are all delicious in their own special way, you don’t need to break the bank to serve this to a crowd. All the ingredients are very inexpensive and can easily be found in any grocery store, even if you live in the middle of nowhere and your local market never carries things like artichokes, truffles, kumquats or pomegranate molasses.
You also don’t have to worry about picky eaters, since most people like chicken. I love cooking for big parties, the more the merrier, but it does make menu planning a bit of a challenge. Uncle Harry likes his meat rare, while cousin Matilda faints if her meat has the slightest pink tinge. Little Petya and three of his buddies think lamb tastes weird and duck isn’t any better. Don’t get me started on all the people who don’t eat pork or hate seafood. I’m sure you’ve all been there. No such worries with this people pleasing entree.
The best part about this meatloaf, especially for busy, festive dinner parties, is that you can assemble it entirely ahead of time and then just bake it before your guests arrive. How awesome is that? You can put on your fancy dress, have time to do your makeup and walk around your kitchen, singing along to the music playing in the background without trying to juggle seven different things at once. There is no better way to start a party than having a relaxed and happy host.
Ingredients:
Chicken Meatloaf
1 1/2 lbs ground chicken
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 onion, grated
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper
10-12 slices bacon
Cheesy Mushroom Stuffing
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter or oil, divided
10 oz fresh white mushrooms, chopped (or any mushrooms that you like, even dry mushrooms)
1-2 shallots, minced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 fresh sprigs of thyme
salt, pepper
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, finely grated (or cheddar, Provolone, Monterey Jack, etc.)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4-1/3 cup sour cream
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Make the meatloaf mixture. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until softened, about 5 minutes. Combine all the ingredients for the meatloaf except the bacon in a bowl and mix until evenly distributed. Set aside.
Prepare the stuffing.
In a skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of butter or oil until shimmering on medium high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms, shallot, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. 
Cook for about 15 minutes until the mixture is cooked through and starting to get golden. At first, the mushrooms will become very watery, but keep cooking on medium high heat until all the liquid is evaporated and absorbed into the mushrooms. Discard the thyme stalks.
While the mushrooms are cooking, toast the breadcrumbs with the remaining 1/2 Tablespoon of butter or oil on medium heat in another skillet until golden brown. (I was toasting additional breadcrumbs for another recipe, so this is double the amount that you will need for the stuffing.) 
Combine the mushroom mixture, toasted breadcrumbs, herbs, cheese and sour cream in another bowl.
Line a microwave safe plate with a paper towel. Place half of the bacon in a single row on top of the paper towel, top with another paper towel and weigh it down with another plate. Microwave for 1-3 minutes, just until the bacon is slightly shriveled. 
Repeat with the other half of the bacon. If you’d rather not use a microwave, you can partially cook the bacon in a skillet on the stove or in the oven and then pat it dry on a towel.
This will get the bacon jumpstarted on the cooking and take out part of the grease out of the bacon. If you skip this step, the meatloaf will be a lot more greasy and will take longer to cook, causing the meatloaf itself to be dryer.
Other Meatloaf Topping Options:
- Cheesy Topping: If you’d rather not use bacon, you can spread a thin layer of mayonnaise, mustard or greek yogurt all over the top of the meatloaf and sprinkle some grated cheese over the top of the meatloaf, creating a cheesy crust.
- Glazed Topping: You can also make a glaze topping for the meatloaf instead of the bacon or cheese. Mix together some ketchup, honey, maple syrup or molasses with a splash of cider vinegar and hot sauce. Brush the glaze on top of the meatloaf during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup later. Spray the sheet with oil too. You don’t have to use aluminum foil or parchment paper. As long as you grease the baking sheet, your meatloaf will cook just fine. However, you will have a harder time transferring the meatloaf from the baking sheet to your serving plate and the baking sheet will be harder to clean.
Place half of the meatball mixture on the prepared baking sheet, shaping it into a slightly oval/rectangular shape. 
Place the mushroom stuffing in the center of the meatloaf. 
Place the remaining half of the meatloaf mixture on top of the stuffing and spread it out evenly. 
Shingle the partially cooked strips of bacon on top of the meatloaf, overlapping slightly. I cut off the overhanging part of the bacon and tucked the ends underneath the meatloaf to make it neat.
You can do all of the prep work ahead of time, cover the meatloaf and store it in the refrigerator up to a day in advance.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, depending on your oven and how thick you make the meatloaf. The bacon should be crisp and golden.
The best way to transfer the meatloaf from the baking sheet to your serving plate is to get two large but thin spatulas underneath each end of the meatloaf and lift both ends at the same time. Let the meatloaf cool for about 15 minutes before slicing it.
- 1½ lbs ground chicken
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 1 onion, grated
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt, ground black pepper
- 10-12 slices bacon
- 1½ Tablespoons butter or oil, divided
- 10 oz fresh white mushrooms, chopped (or any mushrooms that you like, even dry mushrooms)
- 1-2 shallots, minced
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 fresh sprigs of thyme
- salt, pepper
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, finely grated (or cheddar, Provolone, Monterey Jack, etc.)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- ⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼-1/3 cup sour cream
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make the meatloaf mixture. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until softened, about 5 minutes. Combine all the ingredients for the meatloaf except the bacon in a bowl and mix until evenly distributed. Set aside.
- Prepare the stuffing. In a skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of butter or oil until shimmering on medium high heat. Add the chopped mushrooms, shallot, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes until the mixture is cooked through and starting to get golden. At first, the mushrooms will become very watery, but keep cooking on medium high heat until all the liquid is evaporated and absorbed into the mushrooms. Discard the thyme stalks.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, toast the breadcrumbs with the remaining ½ Tablespoon of butter or oil on medium heat in another skillet until golden brown.
- Combine the mushroom mixture, toasted breadcrumbs, herbs, cheese and sour cream in another bowl.
- Line a microwave safe plate with a paper towel. Place half of the bacon in a single row on top of the paper towel, top with another paper towel and weigh it down with another plate. Microwave for 1-3 minutes, just until the bacon is slightly shriveled. Repeat with the other half of the bacon. If you'd rather not use a microwave, you can partially cook the bacon in a skillet on the stove or in the oven and then pat it dry on a towel.
- This will get the bacon jumpstarted on the cooking and take out part of the grease out of the bacon. If you skip this step, the meatloaf will be a lot more greasy and will take longer to cook, causing the meatloaf itself to be dryer.
- Other Meatloaf Topping Options:
- Cheesy Topping: If you'd rather not use bacon, you can spread a thin layer of mayonnaise, mustard or greek yogurt all over the top of the meatloaf and sprinkle some grated cheese over the top of the meatloaf, creating a cheesy crust.
- Glazed Topping: You can also make a glaze topping for the meatloaf instead of the bacon or cheese. Mix together some ketchup, honey, maple syrup or molasses with a splash of cider vinegar and hot sauce. Brush the glaze on top of the meatloaf during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup later. Spray the sheet with oil too. You don't have to use aluminum foil or parchment paper. As long as you grease the baking sheet, your meatloaf will cook just fine. However, you will have a harder time transferring the meatloaf from the baking sheet to your serving plate and the baking sheet will be harder to clean.
- Place half of the meatball mixture on the prepared baking sheet, shaping it into a slightly oval/rectangular shape.
- Place the mushroom stuffing in the center of the meatloaf.
- Place the remaining half of the meatloaf mixture on top of the stuffing and spread it out evenly. Shingle the partially cooked strips of bacon on top of the meatloaf, overlapping slightly. I cut off the overhanging part of the bacon and tucked the ends underneath the meatloaf to make it neat.
- You can do all of the prep work ahead of time, cover the meatloaf and store it in the refrigerator up to a day in advance.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, depending on your oven and how thick you make the meatloaf. The bacon should be crisp and golden.
- The best way to transfer the meatloaf from the baking sheet to your serving plate is to get two large but thin spatulas underneath each end of the meatloaf and lift both ends at the same time. Let the meatloaf cool for about 15 minutes before slicing it.
35 Comments
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Alla
Thank you for the recipe. I’ve always wanted to make this. Our Russian stores in CA sell this for 7.99 per lb. Now I can make it at home! thank you thank you THANK YOU.
olgak7
Now you can make it yourself:). You’re very welcome. Enjoy!
Milana
wow, this looks amazing.
I don’t like the “traditional” meatloaf, but this will definitely do 🙂
Great post!
olgak7
No matter how many versions of traditional meatloaf I’ve tried, I’m not a big fan either. I like the taste of the chicken meatloaf much better:).
Tiffany
I can’t wait to try this recipe! It will be a beautiful addition to the Christmas meal I have planned. Thank you for all of the wonderful dishes and treats you create. Merry Christmas.
olgak7
Merry Christmas to you too, Tiffany!
Ella
Hello Olga,
could I replace the ground chicken with ground pork, what do you think?
Thank you!
olgak7
Yes, you can, Ella. In almost all recipes using ground meat, you can substitute any ground meat for another.
TIna
what a beautiful meatloaf! Definitely making it for Christmas especially when I’ve got all ingredients on hand…will be a beautiful addition to the meal. I’ve got one question tho, do you use chicken breast for ground chicken or do you also add chicken thighs?
olgak7
I grind the meat myself and use both chicken thighs and chicken breasts, probably 2/3 chicken thighs and 1/3 chicken breast. Sometimes, I only use chicken thighs. It depends what I happen to have on hand. However, I never use only chicken breast to make ground chicken, since the dish will be too dry with only white meat.
Aya
Hello Olga.
We just had this for christmas eve lunch today. Everybody liked it so much!! Thank you so much for the great recipe. I will make this over and over again:)
olgak7
That’s awesone! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to write.
Shinee
Olga, this recipe rocks! You’re so right everyone loves chicken, especially if it’s stuffed with yummy mushrooms and wrapped in bacon! Awesome recipe, can’t wait to try this one.
olgak7
Thank you, Shinee:).
Chicken is my go-to choice for company.
Liz
Hi Olga,
I discovered your website a few months ago and love everything about it! My father’s family originally came from Russia, which started me on a Slavic obsession my whole life – I’ve lived and traveled in Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia. I hope to go back some day and see even more of that part of the world! I’m currently in France, introducing my French husband to the wonderful flavors of the Russian/Ukrainian/Slavic kitchen. Thank you for your recipes and for sharing your inspiring life.
For this chicken meatloaf, what would you recommend as a replacement for the mushrooms? My husband won’t touch them 🙁
olgak7
Hi Liz! Thank you so much for stopping by and for taking the time to write.
You can omit the mushrooms and use sausage, nuts, sautéed veggies, such as peppers, zucchini, fennel, etc.
Alla
Made the loaf for the Jan 1 party: made twice the amount for 2 loafs for 10 people and hardly had any leftovers. It was pretty and very tasty! My son, who is a great cook himself, first said that meatloaf is boring but he loved this version . Now making you bread pudding.
olgak7
That’s awesome, Alla! Thanks for taking the time to write. I’m so glad you all enjoyed the meatloaf.
Svetlana
We had this for Chrismas dinner it was delicious ! This one is a keeper !:)))thank you for your post and your time sharing this with us :))
olgak7
That’s great, Svetlana! I love hearing feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Sharlene
Hi Olga,
I made this meatloaf for family get together tonite and everyone LOVED it!!!! I’ve tried other meat loaves but they were boring compared to this. And it wasn’t hard either! Thanks so much. I’ve tried loads of your other recipes as well and they’ve all been brilliant….
All the best in the coming months, and I hope everything goes smoothly for u and ur new bubba. I can’t wait to see the family photo of the three of you.;)
Sharl.
olgak7
Awww! I’m so happy to hear that, Sharlene! Thanks for taking the time to write.
lindsey
Tried this tonight and it was delicious!!! Definitely a keeper.
olgak7
Yay! So glad you thought it was tasty.
Jenny
I would like to make it for my family. But my mom doesn’t eat pork so I would have to use turkey bacon. Would that work? And would I still have to microwave or partially cook it for best results?
Thanks for all your yummy recipes
olgak7
Hi Jenny,
I’ve never cooked with turkey bacon, so I don’t know how to advise you. I’m assuming you would do the same thing as regular bacon.
Lana
Hi Olga. Do you think I can substitute anything else mushrooms with? My family don’t eat them.
olgak7
You can just omit the mushrooms, Lana.
Vera
Hi Olga, can I make this loaf and freeze to bake later?
olgak7
It would probably work, Vera, but I’ve never tried it myself, so I can’t guarantee it. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
Marina
When if you do not have shallots? Can I use regular onions?
olgak7
Hi Marina. Yes, you can use regular onions.
Lena
Hi Olga! I made this meatloaf the other day. My whole family enjoyed it saying how moist the meatloaf was. They also loved the filling inside. Bacon on top was like the icing on the cake!!! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you for posting detailed instructions.
Eileen
Olga! If I freeze part of the cooked meatloaf, what’s the best way to reheat it?
olgak7
You can reheat it on low heat in a skillet, in the oven, microwave or airfryer.