Cheesy Meatloaf

Mmmm....meatloaf.  One of those down-home classic comfort foods.  Served up with a side of homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, and a green salad...it's enough to make my heart pitter patter.  I'm a simple girl, after all.  (And maybe, just maybe, I've watched too many Leave It To Beaver & Andy Griffith reruns in my time.  Just sayin'.)

My favorite meatloaf recipe is this twist on the traditional.  It's chock full of cheese and topped with a sweet and tangy sauce.  Best yet, it's formed into small mini-meatloaves; mini loaves cook quicker than one large one and I can leave the sauce off a few for my uber-traditional husband who prefers plain 'ol ketchup on his meatloaf.

Here's what you'll need to gather:

2 eggs, 3/4 cup milk, 1 1/2 cup of cheese (I like to use cheddar, mozzarella, or smoked gouda), 3/4 cup oats,  1/2 cup onion, chopped finely, 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 1 cup ketchup, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar and 3 teaspoons mustard

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.

Stir in the cheese and onion.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add the oats and beef and mix well.  You can TRY to use a spoon or spatula, but I promise your hand will work the best.  Do you like the claw hand I have going here?  I'll blame it on the 11 year old taking the picture.  I'm just sure it must be his fault.  Right.  Yeah...

Anyway, it'll look something like this when it's all mixed up.  Form the meat mixture into 8 mini loaves and place on a baking sheet.  I somehow forgot a plain picture of them...but wait, you'll get the idea in just a second.

We're getting ready for the sauce...but first I have to share one of my favorite kitchen tools with you:

Isn't it cute?  It's a little shotglass sized measuring cup---a Christmas present two years ago from my amazingly smart husband.  It measures tablespoons, teaspoons, ounces, and milliliters.  It's the handiest little thing for measuring liquidy things like vanilla, oil, and mustard!  Every kitchen should have one.  I have two.  Two is always better than one, right?


Well, anyhow, moving along then.  In a smaller bowl, mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard.

Kick yourself for using a bowl too small and making your life more difficult. 

Continue to ever so carefully stir the mixture in the too-small bowl until it's all combined.  Roll your eyes at how messy the sides look as you've schlopped sauce all around.

Spoon the mixture over the loaves.  Pour ketchup over a few of them if you have a family member who must have plain ketchup.  Heathens. 

Pop the sauced up beauties into the oven at 375.  Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170.  (Does the term "sauced up beauties" make anyone else chuckle?  No?  Oh, well, nevermind then.)

When they come out, serve these tasty morsels with mashed potatoes and green beans; you too can be Aunt Bea or the Beav's mom.  Whatever you do, try these soon and enjoy. 


Cheesy Meatloaf

2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups cheese
3/4 cup oats
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 teaspoons mustard

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.  Stir in the cheese and onion; season with salt and pepper.  Add oats and beef; mix well with hands.  Shape into eight loaves; place on baking sheet.  In a smaller bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard.  Spoon over loaves.  Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 40-45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a thermometer reads about 170.  Enjoy!