Bacon Onion Bombs

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Set aside a small sheetpan.

Cut the ends off of each onion and discard. Cut onions in half and peel off the outer layer, discard. Peel off the next 2 layers and set aside for the bombs. Reserve the rest of the onion (smaller inner pieces) for another recipe.

Break apart the ground beef into smaller pieces in a large bowl. Spread the avocado oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and BBQ sauce on top of the beef. Mix together, being careful not to over-mix. Divide meat mixture into 6 even sections. Set aside.

On a cutting board, lay out 3 pieces of bacon in a star shape. Grab a section of meat and place a piece of cheese in the center. Form into a meatball around the cheese, being sure to cover the entire peices of cheese.

Grab 2 of the onion pieces and place them around the meatball (I use a big piece of onion and a smaller piece). Place the meatball in the center of the bacon star and bring the bacon up around the sides and secure to the top with a toothpick.

Place the bacon bombs on a sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes or until an internal meat thermometer reads 165ºF and bacon is crispy. Serve.

Notes:
• Reserve the remaining onions for future recipes! I like to dice them up and freeze to use in soups.
• Over-mixing the meat will make your meatballs tough. I break the meat up into smaller pieces and spread it out over the bottom of the bowl, then spread the BBQ sauce and seasonings evenly over the meat. This helps mix the meat better without over-mixing.
• Dividing the meat in the bowl is simply done by having the meat in an even layer in the bowl, then using a butter knife to make a plus shape in the meat, then an X. This divides the meat into 6 even chunks.

Nutrition per serving based on 1 onion bomb (they’re big) using 80/20 ground beef and figuring 1/4 cup of onion: Calories: 670kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 50g, Fat: 50g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g