Bacon Explosion

Ingredients

• 2 pounds thick-cut bacon, divided
• 1 tablespoon barbeque spice rub, divided
• 2 pounds bulk pork sausage
• 1 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (18 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce

Directions

Preheat smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C).

Reserve about 1/2 pound bacon for cooking. Lay 2 strips of the remaining bacon on a clean surface in an X. Alternate horizontal and vertical bacon strips, weaving them tightly in an over-and-under pattern to create a lattice pattern. Sprinkle woven bacon with 1 teaspoon barbeque rub.

Arrange reserved 1/2 pound of bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels; crumble.

Place sausage in a large resealable plastic bag; do not close bag. Roll sausage out, still in the bag, to a square the same size as the woven bacon. Cut bag off the sausage and arrange sausage over bacon; discard bag. Sprinkle crumbled bacon, Cheddar cheese, green onions, and garlic over sausage. Pour about 3/4 bottle barbeque sauce over sausage and season with remaining barbeque rub.

Roll woven bacon tightly around sausage into a loaf.

Cook bacon-sausage loaf seam-side down in the preheated smoker for about 1 1/2 hours. Brush woven bacon with remaining barbeque sauce and continue to smoke until loaf is no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Allow loaf to rest for 30 minutes before slicing.