Pork Meatloaf with Bacon, Leek, and Thyme

Close up of a sliced pork meatloaf topped with thyme and surrounded by carrots and kale.

This delicious Pork Meatloaf contains bacon, thyme, and leeks for a unique twist on a classic comfort food. Double the recipe and have meatloaf sandwiches for lunches.

Ground Pork is so versatile and is often more economical than ground beef. Pair ground pork with noodles for a great weeknight dinner in this Szechuan Ground Pork Stir Fry or enjoy it in pie form on Christmas Eve in our favourite Christmas Eve Tourtière.

Close up of a sliced pork meatloaf topped with thyme and surrounded by carrots and kale.

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Super Tasty Pork Meatloaf

Please accept (in advance) my sincerest apologies to all the ‘Meatless Monday’ folk out there. I’m officially changing Mondays to ‘Meatloaf Mondays’ in honour of the humble but magnificent meatloaf. Previously I’ve always thought of meatloaf as an antiquated dish, or perhaps more accurately, ‘a classic’. As a result, I’ve maybe made meatloaf three times in my (almost 40) years on this earth and now…I have a lot of catching up to do!

Ingredients required to make Pork Meatloaf with leeks and bacon.

Pork Meatloaf For the Win!

The family loved this pork meatloaf so much the first time I made it that I had no hope in getting any photos. I served it as one would classically serve a meatloaf; with mashed potatoes and peas. And it was so so good.

Everyone was excited about having meatloaf sandwiches for school lunches the next day…until they woke up and discovered that their older brother had already left for work for the day, taking the rest of the meatloaf with him.

A pile of chopped leeks beside slices of bacon.

No bread, no veggies, just a solid chunk of meatloaf for lunch. If there ever was a candidate for the paleo diet, he would definitely be it.

I knew that no one would be complaining if I made meatloaf twice in one week so I bought more pork mince and leeks then had another meatloaf ready in no time.

A glass mixing bowl containing unmixed ingredients for Pork Meatloaf.

This time everyone was happy. I was able to take photos during the daylight hours and everyone brought meatloaf sandwiches for lunch today. I guess I’ve learned a bit of a lesson too…always make a double recipe of pork meatloaf!

A raw free formed Pork meatloaf on a sheet of aluminium foil.
Pinterest image of a sliced pork meatloaf topped with thyme and surrounded by carrots and kale.

If you make this Pork Meatloaf with Bacon Leek and Thyme, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see what you guys are making! Thank you so much for reading my blog.

Yield: 4 servings

Pork Meatloaf with Bacon, Thyme and Leeks

Close up of a sliced pork meatloaf topped with thyme and surrounded by carrots and kale.

This delicious Pork Meatloaf contains bacon, thyme, and leeks for a unique twist on a classic comfort food. Double the recipe and have meatloaf sandwiches for lunches.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 lbs lean ground pork (pork mince)
  • 1/2 cup panko crumbs or regular bread crumbs
  • 6 slices of meaty bacon; finely diced
  • 2 leeks; finely diced
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley; finely chopped
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 325° F and cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
    2. Add the bacon to a skillet and cook until most of the fat has rendered out.
    3. Add the leeks on top of the bacon and cover with a lid to sweat them for about 5 minutes.
    4. Place the ground pork, crumbs, egg, thyme leaves, and diced parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
    5. When the leeks have softened, add them (with the bacon) to the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix well.
    6. Fashion all the ingredients in a large ball. Place them on the baking sheet and mold into a loaf shape, just like if you were actually using a loaf pan.
    7. Bake for about an hour and a half, or until the inner temperature reaches 170°F. Let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Notes

I find that baking the meatloaf on a baking pan decreases the amount of oil in your meatloaf. It doesn't make the prettiest photos but I prefer to cook my meatloaf this way.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 544Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 231mgSodium: 731mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 71g

Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.

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15 comments

  1. foodisthebestshitever

    That meatloaf would be really good in my face… like, really really good. You’re making me hungry out here!!

    Reply

  2. Janice @Kitchen Heals Soul

    I love meatloaf. Is that weird? People are always turning their noses up at meatloaf, but I think it’s brilliant! And the leftovers make easy lunches πŸ™‚

    Reply

    1. dishnthekitchen

      yes, that’s weird. and I totally understand. My love affair with meatloaf has begun!

  3. Tara

    That looks like a delicious meatloaf, very different from what I have made over the years. I like the pork on pork!!

    Reply

    1. dishnthekitchen

      yep! Double pork….my son was trying to get me to cover it in a bacon raft as well.

  4. Stacey

    Why do you add the leeks? I haven’t seen leeks in a meatloaf before, and all my previous leek-food attempts have not worked out at all. Would it be significantly different if it was not included?

    Reply

    1. dishnthekitchen

      I added them to the first meatloaf because I had them in the fridge. We liked them so much, they stayed πŸ™‚ Are you using the white parts only? Have you found your previous attempts were with tough leeks. Sweating them with the bacon makes them sweet and tender. They aren’t as offensive as onions.

    2. dishnthekitchen

      oh and when you are buying leeks, try to buy the ones with long white portions.

  5. missemzyy

    I havent made meatloaf before but by the look of your recipe it must be delicious!

    Reply

    1. dishnthekitchen

      Thank you, and thanks for visiting! Love your food photos πŸ™‚

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