🍂🌻 Chili Champions & Backyard Cooks 🌻🍂🍁 Chuckwagon Fall Recipe of the Day — Monday, August 31, 2026🥩🍎 Country Apple Butter Meatloaf with Maple Bacon Mashed Sweet Potatoes 🍠🥓

🥩🍎 Country Apple Butter Meatloaf with Maple Bacon Mashed Sweet Potatoes 🍠🥓

Good morning, folks! 🤠🍂

We're closing out August with a recipe that gives us a delicious little preview of all those cozy September and fall flavors headed our way!

Today's Country Apple Butter Meatloaf takes an old-fashioned family favorite and gives it a chuckwagon fall twist with a sweet-and-smoky apple butter BBQ glaze. We're serving it alongside creamy mashed sweet potatoes loaded with maple butter and crispy bacon.

This is country comfort food with a taste of fall in every bite! 🍎🍁❤️

🥩 Country Apple Butter Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

• ½ cup milk

• 1 small sweet onion, finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

🍎 Apple Butter BBQ Glaze

• ½ cup apple butter

• ½ cup smoky BBQ sauce

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

🍠 Maple Bacon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

• 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

• 4 tablespoons butter

• ¼ cup heavy cream or milk

• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• Salt to taste

• Chopped pecans, optional

🔥 Let's Get Cooking!

1️⃣ Start the meatloaf.Preheat your oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Mix gently just until combined.

2️⃣ Shape it up!Form the mixture into a loaf on a rimmed baking sheet or place it in a loaf pan.

3️⃣ Make that fall glaze. 🍎Mix the apple butter, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and smoked paprika.

Spread about half of the glaze over the meatloaf.

4️⃣ Bake for about 40 minutes.Remove the meatloaf and brush it with another generous layer of glaze.

Return it to the oven until the center reaches 160°F.

Depending on the thickness of your loaf, total cooking time will generally be around 55–70 minutes.

5️⃣ Let it rest!Give the meatloaf about 10 minutes before slicing. This helps all those wonderful juices stay inside.

🍠 Make Those Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes

6️⃣ Boil the sweet potatoes in salted water until fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes.

7️⃣ Drain well and mash with butter, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt.

8️⃣ Fold in most of the crispy bacon.

Spoon them into a serving bowl and top with the remaining bacon, a little drizzle of maple syrup, and chopped pecans if desired.

Oh my goodness—that's fall comfort food right there! 🤠🍁

🏆 MawMaw's Chuckwagon Secret

Don't overwork your meatloaf mixture!

Use your hands or a fork and mix everything just until it comes together. Packing and mixing the meat too tightly can give you a tough meatloaf.

And here's another little trick: sauté the onions for a few minutes before adding them to the meat mixture if your family prefers softer onions.

🍽️ Make It a Country Supper

Serve this one with:

🌽 Buttered corn🫘 Southern green beans with bacon🥖 Warm yeast rolls with apple butter🥗 Apple-cranberry garden salad🍎 Cold apple cider or sweet tea

🥧 And for dessert?

🍎 Old-Fashioned Caramel Apple Cobbler

Serve it warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream melting right over the top! 🍨

💜 Chuckwagon Encouragement

August is coming to an end, and tomorrow we'll turn the calendar to a brand-new month.

Sometimes turning that calendar page is a wonderful reminder:

Yesterday is finished.

Maybe August brought wonderful memories. Maybe it brought challenges you never expected. Maybe there were prayers answered—and maybe there are still prayers you're waiting on.

But through every single day, God has remained faithful.

Tomorrow brings a new month, but today is still a gift.

Gather around the table. Thank God for how far He's brought you. Treasure the people you love. And step into September believing that whatever comes next, God is already there. ❤️

📖 Scripture for Today

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

— Lamentations 3:22–23 (KJV)

🍂 Monday Table Question

Which fall comfort food are you MOST excited to make this year?

🌶️ Big pot of chili🥩 Sunday pot roast🍎 Apple cobbler🎃 Pumpkin bread🍲 Homemade soup🥧 Fresh-baked pie🍗 Chicken & dumplings

👇 Tell us in the comments! And we'd LOVE for you to share your favorite fall family recipes with our Chili Champions & Backyard Cooks family!

🍁🤠 Goodbye August — Hello Fall Cooking! 🤠🍁

May September bring full tables, grateful hearts, plenty of laughter, and lots of wonderful meals shared with the people we love.

Faith ⭐ Family ⭐ Friends ⭐ Food ⭐ Memories ❤️🍂🌻