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Monday, January 07, 2013

Rockstar Cheesy Stuffed Meatloaf

 
 
I apologize for this recipe in advance.  So many of you - I know - are trying to stick to your New Year's resolution of eating healthier.  This recipe doesn't really fit into that, does it? 

I'm sorry.

But it truly is one heck of a meatloaf recipe!  It is scrumptious and cheesy and naughty and gooey and divine.  (Yes, that's a major run-on sentence right there, but sometimes I like to use a lot of ands!)

You've got juicy ground beef.  Pork.  Garlic.  Spices.  And, cheese ... lots of cheese.  (I won't tell ya about the time I laid out bacon strips across the top before baking!)

You really should make this. Your family will love you ... hence the name. In their eyes, you'll be a rockstar in the kitchen! Score one for mom (or dad)! No more boring meatloaf! This is something special, friends.  And, there's no better comfort food to serve alongside some fluffy mashed potatoes.


(Did I mention the cheese factor?) 

Just plan to have a grilled chicken breast and a salad (with no dressing) for dinner the following day.  I read in a study once that it cancels out the calories you consumed the day prior.  (Just kidding.  That was a lie.)  What I do know is that life is all about moderation.  So, have just a small piece.  And, then munch on some fresh veggies for your snack while ya watch television later. 

NOTE:  You can use your own recipe for regular meatloaf if it's a family favorite, then just follow the guidelines for the cheese-portion to make it a cheesy version.  (I won't mind ... really!)  Just be sure to use 2 pounds of ground meat.


Rockstar Cheesy Stuffed Meatloaf
Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground meat (a 50/50 beef/pork combination is best)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup saltines, crushed
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
1/4 green bell pepper, finely chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
A pinch of any dried herbs that you like with meatloaf (I prefer dried Italian seasoning)
1/4 cup ketchup (plus more for the top)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Cheese (I use about 2 oz. of sliced mozzarella and about 3 oz. of shredded cheddar or Colby blend)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with some non-stick spray.

Combine all of the ingredients except for the cheese in a large mixing bowl.  Do not over mix.


Divide the meat mixture in half.

Spread half of the meat mixture out into the bottom of the loaf pan.

Lay down a layer of mozzarella cheese and top with the shredded cheese.


Spread out the other half of the meat mixture on top of the cheese being careful not to disrupt the cheese layer too much.  You can use a rubber spatula down the sides to really press the meat in towards the loaf and to help seal all of the way around.  You're wanting to really seal the edges as best as you can so that no cheese is left visible.



Squirt some additional ketchup onto the top of the meatloaf.

Spread it out with a spoon or rubber spatula, if desired.


Bake uncovered for 1 hour.

Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.  Plan to eat immediately upon slicing so that the melted cheese does not cool too much and firm up.


25 comments:

  1. This is an amazing recipe. Loved the way you made this yummy treat! perfect for the weekends!!

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  2. What a delicious looking meatloaf! I'm feeling quite hungry now! Can't wait to eat this yummy meatloaf! :)

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  3. Anyone have the nutritional info for this recipe? I have made it before and love it, but am dieting now so I need to know if it's too high in calories per serving to spend time and money on.
    Thanks!

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    1. Hi, Crystal. I do not have nutritional info on this. I know there are many websites that allow you to input the ingredients and it will tell you. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure this is up there in fat and calories. However, if you're a fan of ground turkey, you could sub that in for all or part of the meat portion of the recipe. I don't normally use low-fat cheese, but that would be worth a try, too, to lighten things up a bit. Also, I sometimes making meatloaf in a muffin tin ... it gives you smaller portion sizes. You could try wrapping the meatloaf around a chunk of cheese and baking them in the wells of a muffin tin. The leftover portions could be frozen for another meal - prior to baking or after. Thank you for stopping by and for your question.

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    2. Thank you, Angela! I guess I will just have to work out in the morning and eat low-cal the rest of the day so I will have daily calories allowed for this awesome dish for dinner. lol

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    3. Crystal - I use a website "myfitnesspal" - you enter the ingredients and the number of servings - it will calculate the nutritional info for you! I use it all the time. Free program!

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  4. Is this the only place u can comment not on fb?. Anyway I've made this recipe like forever. It is good. But old new to me.

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  5. Can u not post on fb? I've made this forever. Not new to me. Taste great too

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  6. I make something just like this however for a yummy twist I use sweet baby rays bbq sauce on top instead of ketchup...it's delicious

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    1. That sounds yummy ... we love Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce, too.

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    2. Yea!great idea SWEET Baby Rays!NOT into catsup much..Making it fo sho!

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    3. what A WONDERFUL
      What a wonderful recipe..have been looking for it for a while...your writing is so cute...thank youy



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  7. Can I use minced garlic instead of grating the cloves?

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    1. I'm sure you could, Crystal ... or even garlic powder/salt for the flavor.

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  8. /50 Pork as in sausage? Can't wait to try this tonight!

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    1. Ground pork. I suppose you could use pork sausage, but I use ground pork, which is simply pork that is ground like hamburger meat and is unseasoned.

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  9. This recipe looks wonderful. One question though, does it re-heat well since it is loaded with all that yummy cheese?

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    1. We did eat a few slices that we leftover of this ... what I did was cut just enough slices that you'll need as you go along for your initial dinner. You'll have a little chunk left that is not cut. {Try to keep some of the oozy cheese inside of that part.} Then, I wrapped that chunk tightly in plastic wrap, threw it in the fridge and sliced it the next day - cold. I reheated the few slices on a flat-top griddle (a larger skillet would work,too) that I sprayed with some non-stick spray. It got a little crisp and formed a bit of a browned crust ... yum! Some of the cheese did ooze out onto the griddle as it got melty, but I just scooped it on top of the slices upon serving. My hubby ate his leftover slice on white bread ... I ate it with leftover mashed potatoes. Another option if you don't think you'll need a whole large meatloaf for one dinner is to make two smaller loaves and save in fridge or freezer the extra one for another meal. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe. :)

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  10. Is it okay if i put this recipe on my food blog? I wanted to share it with people and I made sure to give all the credit to you. I also put a link in my blog so people can check you out for themselves. Thanks so much.
    Beauty Ink

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    1. I love when people want to share my recipes. My typical requirement is that only a write-up about the recipe and the list of ingredients (if desired) can be provided (not the full recipe that includes the directions) ... followed by a link to my blog post with something like, "For Full Recipe Instructions, Visit Joyously Domestic" or something similar. I do, also, allow one photo from my recipe post to be used in your post. Thanks so much for wanting to share my work.

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  11. Thanks for allowing me to share your recipe Angela. I've posted it here following your guidelinjes: http://www.homeandgardendigest.com,

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  12. if you substitute pork rinds for crackers it becomes low carb yea

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  13. I have been making this for several years. I first made it as per the recipe, then made a few changes. I used mozzarella cheese, finely crushed Italian seasoned croutons and used marinara sauce where ketchup was called for. There are lots of great ways to make this. You could use a Mexican cheese blend or pepper jack, crushed tortilla chips for the saltines and taco sauce for the ketchup. As the recipe is written, it is delicious! I, like so many other cooks, love to experiment! Great recipe!

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    1. Love all of the variations that you shared. Thank you for stopping by to comment. Greatly appreciated!

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  14. Outstanding! Thanks for sharing. Make this weekly now per family request.

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