Meatloaf has a bad reputation for being overly dry. I have tried many meatloaf recipes over the years and I have to say that this is the one! This stuffed meatloaf is one of the only meat dishes that my children actually approve of. You are going to love how moist and cheesy this meatloaf is!
Stuffed Meatloaf: Choosing the meat
It all starts with ground beef. I chose to use a combination of 85/15 and 93/7 to ensure that the meatloaf would be neither too dry or too soft. I have also make this recipe with ground turkey which works just as well.
What I love about this stuffed meatloaf is that you simply dump all the ingredients in the bowl and mix! A nice sturdy spoon will do the trick or you can just use your hands!
After the mixture is combined, you can shape it into about eight mini stuffed meatloaves (each about the size of a fist).
Then, in my own opinion, comes the best part. The cheese. These loaves are filled with gooey cheesy goodness! Simply fold a slice of American cheese into a small square and insert it into the middle of the loaf. It is important to carefully fold the meat back over the cheese so that all of the cheese is covered (to prevent oozing).
Once all the loaves are filled and formed, they get topped with delicious sauce. This topping adds tons of flavor so don’t skip it!
Depending on your oven, these will need to back anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. I like to use an instant read thermometer so that I don’t have to guess. Once they are 165 degrees, they are done!
Just look at all of that cheesy goodness! This stuffed meatloaf is sure to become a family favorite! Happy cooking!
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef 85/15 or higher
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 15oz tomato sauce
- 8 slices American cheese
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Line a roasting pan with foil and grease with cooking spray.
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until combined. Do not overmix!
- Form the meat mixture into about 8 fist sized loaves.
- Make a small indentation into each loaf and press a folded slice of American cheese into the center. Fold the meat over the cheese, being careful to fully cover the cheese.
- Mix the 1 cup of ketchup with the ½ cup of brown sugar in a small bowl. Top each loaf with the sauce mixture.
- Bake on roasting pan for 45 mins to 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 165°.
