It seems most of us are returning to traditional recipe options right now. The dinner ideas handed down to us from previous generations using simple ingredients that are easy to keep on hand are making a comeback.
Recipes like meatloaf can bring back lovely memories and give us the comfort food we all crave lately. However, it's also a great time to tweak those traditional recipes to make them even more delicious.
Cheese stuffed meatloaf is a tasty spin on a traditional recipe. Anything is better stuffed with cheese, am I right?
The wonderful thing about meatloaf is that it uses such simple ingredients. It's common to have all the ingredients needed to make meatloaf in your home at any given time.
Adding cheesy goodness to meatloaf is a way to please the whole family. Even the picky eaters might give it another chance when they see the ooey-gooey cheese. Yum.
I remember my Gram making meatloaf on occasion while I was growing up. Being the biggest picky eater, I was never a fan. Now I realize cheese was the ticket all along. Shredded cheese may as well be magical fairy dust for me!
This could quite possibly be the way to turn classic meatloaf into the best meatloaf ever.
Did you know you can make meatloaf in the air fryer? This air fryer meatloaf recipe from Couple in the Kitchen gets you a quick and easy meatloaf that's perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside! Drool.
(Scroll down for the exact measurements in the printable recipe card)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with wax paper. Set aside.
Add ground beef, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of pasta sauce, and 1 egg to a large bowl.
Mix well.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour beef mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, making a 13×9 rectangle.
Sprinkle on 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese, keeping the cheese about 1/2? from the edges.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of Italian seasonings on top of the cheese.
Starting with the short end, roll up the beef into a log shape. Pinch the sides and the end together.
Remove the loaf from the waxed paper and place into a loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with remaining pasta sauce and cheese.
Return to the oven for 15 minutes.
When cooking is complete, let the meatloaf stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serves 6-8 people.
If you can find lean ground beef, that's the best option. You can use fattier ground beef, but remove some of the grease with a turkey baster after you bake it for 45 minutes.
The shredded cheese used here is Colby jack, but you can use what you have on hand. Mozzarella is a tasty choice if you have that option.
Breadcrumbs are used to keep the meatloaf together. Some people soak them in milk to add moisture and lighten the texture.
Over mixing will make your meatloaf tough. Mix well, but just well enough to combine. If the meat gets compressed too much it will take longer to cook and dry out.
If you don't have breadcrumbs, you can use all kinds of other ingredients in place of them. Oats, crushed chips, pretzels, crackers, and crushed cereal all work well in meatloaf.
You didn't let it rest long enough. Resting your meatloaf is all about letting things settle. If you cut into your meatloaf too soon, all the juice goes onto the plate instead of absorbing back into the meatloaf, and it will crumble apart.
A spin on traditional meatloaf to make it cheesy and even more of a comfort food.
Lean ground beef is recommended for this recipe, but it will work with whatever you have. If your beef is not lean, after you bake it for 45 minutes, use a turkey baster to remove some of the grease from the pan before adding the pasta sauce and cheese.
A mix of Colby jack cheese is used here, but you can use what you have on hand. Mozzarella cheese is delicious, too.
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Amount Per Serving: Calories: 563Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 172mgSodium: 1068mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 43g
Nutrition facts are an estimate only.
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Please let me know in the comments below if you try this cheese stuffed meatloaf recipe.