No matter how you prepare it, meatloaf is one of those cozy dishes that evoke memories and makes you happy. If you stuff it with hard-boiled eggs, you'll get a mouth-watering meatloaf that fits any occasion, whether you serve it hot or cold!
This delicious dish can easily be a hearty winter comfort food as it can be a simple picnic snack! The bacon makes this minced roast crispy and gives it a deliciously warm note and a rustic look.
Whether flavored with Mediterranean spices, wrapped in dough, stuffed with cheese, or as a classic "mock rabbit with eggs," meatloaf can be extraordinary when prepared in various ways and served with side dishes to suit your taste. Try it!
Mock Rabbit
Most European and South American countries call meatloaf a fake, false, faux, mock rabbit, or hare. In German, it's Falscher Hase or Hackbraten.
Meatloaf with boiled eggs is traditional in Germany, Scandinavia, and Belgium, but many other countries worldwide have their version of meatloaf.
Some cuisines use bacon and hard-boiled eggs, and some don't. But they all agree to serve it with yummy mashed potatoes.
The name comes from the time after the Second World War when many families could not afford a real rabbit for a Sunday roast.
In some regions, you can see this dish on the Easter table; after all, bunnies bring and hide Easter eggs, which would undoubtedly be the right name for this hidden egg meatloaf!
When sliced, this egg meatloaf looks incredible! It's much like a British scotch egg in loaf form, although you would make those typically with pork sausage.
For German-style meatloaf, a mixture of beef and pork is ideal. However, like here, I often make it just with ground beef and occasionally use buffalo. You can also make it with ground turkey and adjust the spices - it'll be just as delicious!
This meatloaf recipe is the best and excellent for special occasions. Not only is it delicious and a showstopper, but you'll get credit for spending hours in the kitchen without actually spending hours in the kitchen! It's a remarkably simple and easy dish to make.
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
- I believe that a beef/pork mix is best for meatloaf. However, the mixture might be hard to find, or you don't eat pork - ground beef, buffalo, turkey, and chicken (or a combination) work just as well.
- Everything is better with bacon, but it is optional. It also keeps the meat nice and juicy and prevents this minced roast from bursting open in the oven, which can happen. You can substitute it with turkey bacon or leave it out altogether.
🔪 Instructions
The method here is super simple and pretty similar to any other recipe. So, if you've ever made meatloaf before, you don't need to worry - so long as you know how to boil an egg, you already know what to do!
- Combine all ingredients except the boiled eggs, bacon, and ketchup.
- Transfer the mixture to plastic wrap or wax paper and form a rectangle. Align the boiled eggs onto the meat mixture, then roll the meat over the eggs.
- Place the meat into the prepared pan, seam-side down, and cover with ketchup.
- Add bacon slices if using. You can lay strips in a row or make a lattice.
- Bake until bacon is crisp, and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
See? Super simple! It's like a swiss roll meatloaf - a delicious spiral!
👩🍳 Top Tips
- If you don't like handling raw meat with your bare hands, use disposable gloves, or mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon (it'll take a bit longer). I would not recommend a food processor or a mixer as it will easily overprocess the mixture and make the meatloaf tough.
- Sprinkle the bottom of the loaf pan with uncooked white rice, then place your formed meatloaf on top of it. While it cooks, rice will soak up all the extra juices, or use the special pan for meatloaf.
- Cut the ends of each egg a little to ensure every slice has a piece of egg yolk.
- For a gluten-free version, use GF breadcrumbs, almond flour, or almond meal.
- Rest meatloaf for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
To boil the eggs, place them into a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cook for 5 minutes. Run under cold water or place in an ice bath to cool and then peel.
Baking a meatloaf on a baking sheet will cause it to lose shape. If you don't have a loaf pan, make one with heavy-duty aluminum foil to put the meatloaf in and place it on a sheet. Note that baking time may warry.
You can either freeze the whole leftover meatloaf or freeze individual slices. To prevent freezer burn, wrap meatloaf tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag or container.
Defrost the meatloaf thoroughly in the refrigerator before reheating. Place leftover meatloaf in an oven-safe dish. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of broth or water to moisten the meatloaf, and cover with foil. Reheat for 20-30 minutes in a 250°F preheated oven.
🍽 How To Serve It
The juicy meatloaf, which hides hard-boiled eggs inside, is best served with fluffy mashed potatoes, smashed or boiled potatoes, red cabbage, or root vegetables.
In German's standard households, in addition to potato puree, peas with carrots and green beans are traditional sides with this Falscher Hase.
😋 Other Amazing Recipes to Try
Ground or minced meat offers unlimited dishes that are easy, satisfying, and soul-warming. You should try some, if not all, of these recipes:
- Gluten-Free Beef and Feta Risolles
- Chilean Shepherd's Corn Pie
- One-Pan South African Bobotie
- Swedish Cabbage Casserole
- Slavonian Polenta Beef Casserole
- Beef-Stuffed Onions
- Air Fryer Scotch Eggs
Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Meatloaf with Hard-Boiled Eggs and Bacon
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Loaf pan
- saucepan
- Plastic wrap or wax paper
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 4 slices bacon optional
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8 or 9-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle the bottom with breadcrumbs, which helps the meatloaf from sticking (*see the recipe notes for an alternative).
- In a medium bowl, combine everything except the boiled eggs, bacon, and ketchup. Dip your hands in it and be careful not to overwork it, or the meatloaf will end up being tough.
- Transfer the mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper and pat it to form (about) an 8x12-inch rectangle.
- Align the boiled eggs next to each other in the middle of the meatloaf mixture. Roll the meat over the eggs, starting at the long end, then place the loaf into the pan, seam-side down.
- Spread the top with ketchup and cover with bacon slices (you can form a lattice pattern if you desire).
- Bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until bacon is crisp, then let stand for at least 10 minutes. Cut into 1-inch slices to serve either warm or cold.
Expert Tips
- Beef and pork mixture is the best for meatloaf, but you can use just beef, buffalo, turkey, and chicken (or a combination) work just as well.
- Sprinkle the bottom of the loaf pan with uncooked white rice, then place your formed meatloaf on top of it. While it cooks, rice will soak up all the extra juices.
- Cut the ends of each egg a little to ensure everyone gets a piece of egg yolk in their slice, not just egg white.
- Rest meatloaf for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
- Find additional tips in the post above.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in July 2015 and updated in August 2020 with new photos and recipe tips.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I agree with you about meatloaf being comfort food but when prepared like you did with the eggs and the beautiful woven bacon, it really is a special meal.
Jas says
Awe, so sweet of you to say that! Thank you so much, Karen! Hope you're staying well and safe. Hugs! 😀
Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man! says
Interesting! I've never heard of baking an egg into a meatloaf. It sounds delicious, and it's visually appealing.
Jas says
Before I moved here, I didn't know people do it without eggs. 🙂 Hope you'll give it a try. Thanks for stopping in!
Petra says
I had never eaten a meatloaf with egg inside until a few years ago when a friend made it for me. It was a delicious aha revelation! Yours looks great, especially with the bacon!
Jas says
Hi, Petra! There's nothing more satisfying than playing with food. And bacon makes everything better 😉
Sandhya says
What a pretty loaf Jas!
Jas says
Thank you! 😀
Miz Helen says
This is a beautiful meatloaf! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday in 2017. Wishing you the very best in 2018 and hope to see you soon.
Happy New Year!
Miz Helen
Jas says
Thank you, Miz Helen! Wishing you the same. XO
Jann Olson says
We love meatloaf now and then. This looks so unique and delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Jas says
Meatloaf is my husband's favorite but I don't make it as often as he would've liked, ha! Happy 2018, Jann!
kathleen Rupp says
wow! I love this idea! It is so different and looks delicious! pinned and saw your post at the pin junkie party:)
Jas says
Thanks and thank you for stopping in, Kathleen! 😀
Heather says
I love hard boiled eggs and meatloaf, so this recipe combines some of my favorite things! I agree that it looks very pretty, great recipe!
Jas says
Thank you, Heather! Happy New Year!
Alice says
Perfect, exactly the recipe I was needing, I've seen this in some places but I've never done it because I thought it was difficult but now that I've seen in your article that it's simple to do, that's great thank you.
Jas says
I'm so glad!
Camila says
OMG!!!! This is so cruel, you are making me drool all over my keyboard... Egg, bacon? oh yeah!!!! Piiiiiiinning!
XOXO
allthatsjas says
LOL, I know...sorry... 😀 Thanks for visiting and sharing!
stephanie says
This looks amazing! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! This post has been pinned on the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! I love having you and can't wait to see you next week!
allthatsjas says
Thank you so much, Stephanie!
Lou Lou Girls says
Oh my! This looks so fabulous! Pinned and tweeted. Please join us tonight at 7 pm, and party with us. I can’t wait to see your new masterpieces or amazing classics! Lou Lou Girls
allthatsjas says
Thank you!!!