Cheesy Bacon Meatloaf

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium-high heat until crispy.

While the bacon cooks, finely dice the yellow onion and green bell pepper.

Once crispy, remove the bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the bacon grease in the skillet and add the butter.

Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet and sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes.

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant. Season the vegetables with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, crushed crackers, cooked vegetable mixture, crumbled bacon, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt.

Add the milk, Worcestershire sauce, eggs, and 1.5 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl.

Gently mix all ingredients with your hands until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Form the mixture into a loaf shape and place it in a baking pan.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

While the meatloaf is baking, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, brown sugar, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.

After 1 hour, remove the meatloaf from the oven and discard the foil. Pour the glaze evenly over the top.

Return the meatloaf to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and return to the oven for a final 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Let the meatloaf rest for a few minutes before garnishing with fresh cilantro, slicing, and serving.