This Stuffed Meatloaf starts with an incredibly flavorful meat and vegetable mixture thats filled with a melty cheddar cheese and topped with an irresistible tangy sauce then baked to juicy perfection! If you love this recipe, you will also love this Classic Meatloaf Recipe, Pizza Meatloaf, Salisbury Steak Meatball Skillet and Mississippi Pot Roast.
Thank you so much to Christy Irene for sharing this recipe with my audience!
Hello, Everyone! My name is Christy and I blog at the site, Christy Irene. Maybe you are like me in the midst of this pandemic and utilizing some time to self-reflect and contemplate a lot of “what’s next?” While some things during this time are out of my control, I am spending this time clinging to the sweet memories of the past, the ones that bring great joy and comfort. This stuffed meatloaf recipe brings comfort opening a floodgate of lovely memories
Meatloaf – The Ultimate Comfort Food
There is a version of meatloaf in many countries throughout the world. What unites them all is the usage of ground meat in addition to using eggs and bread crumbs as a binder. It is a meal that does not include a lot of difficult steps, perfect for the beginner in the kitchen. What makes stuffed meatloaf the ultimate comfort food is that it combines the comfort we long for in meatloaf with our love for things that are cheesy. And I love a cheesy meal!
How to Make Stuffed Meatloaf
Growing up in a family with many phenomenal cooks, I believed that cooking was indeed their super power. Each aunt and grandma had their own spin to how to make meatloaf. Every meatloaf I tasted coming out of their kitchens was amazing. In my early years of cooking, I anxiously tried to duplicate their style and learned that I had to have my own, tailoring the recipe to what my own family and I enjoy.
Stuffing the meatloaf with cheesy goodness is easy. Flavoring the ground meat with flavors you enjoy is where the magic happens. Fresh vegetables chopped finely add moisture and mounds of flavor to each and every bite. If I had a secret to amazing meatloaf, this would be it. How do I make stuffed meatloaf? I make it with love and spices and cheese in the middle.
Pro Tip: To get the moisture from the vegetables, save yourself and throw the onion, pepper, garlic, celery, and parsley into the food processor. This will save your life, and time!
Meatloaf Sauce
What’s a meatloaf without the sauce? Gotta have the sauce! A blend of ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar lend a zest and tang to the rest of the meatloaf. Right before the meatloaf is done, the sauce is added and makes a delicious caramelized crust. Hear me when I say, this sauce on the stuffed meatloaf is AMAZING and so simple to make!
What Type of Meat is Best for this Stuffed Meatloaf
When making meatloaf, I usually use 85% lean/15% fat or 90% lean/10% fat ground beef. When I want to add varying flavor, I will mix equal parts of ground sirloin (90/10) with ground pork. While chopped fresh seasonings add moisture, ground pork adds the juiciness. You can also combine ground beef and ground veal together. That combination also packs a powerful flavor punch.
As you make this meatloaf, I hope that you are flooded with wonderful memories of the past and those you have yet to create.
Enjoy!
Stuffed Meatloaf
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf
- 2 lb ground beef or 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb of ground pork
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 tbsp seasoned salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For the Sauce
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Meatloaf
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl with the exception of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Form the meat mixture into the shape of the 9” x 5” loaf pan and place in the pan.
- Make a horizontal well down the center of the meatloaf with your hand, wide enough to add the shredded cheese. Place the cheese in the middle of the meatloaf and seal the opening with the meat mixture so that no cheese is exposed.
- Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
For the Sauce
- While the meatloaf is baking, mix the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.
- After 40 minutes, take the meatloaf out of the oven and spoon the sauce to cover the top of the meatloaf. Place the meatloaf back in the oven to continue cooking for 10 additional minutes.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
So wonderful.
Everyone loved this.
This is my 3rd time making this recipe. My family loves it
And each time I’ve made it was finished off before dinner time the next day.
Thank you for the wonderful recipes!
Just made this for supper. Was delicious! My husband was not crazy on the red sauce, i loved it. So next time i will just cook the sauce separately in a pot on the stove. I took a picture but cannot see where to post it.
Loving all the flavors in this stuffed meatloaf with that amazing sauce on top.
my mouth is watering just looking at this! there’s nothing better than a meatloaf dinner when it comes to comfort food. Adding to my list now!
Wow!! This is going to be a family favorite for sure! I love the melty cheese in here! Looks incredible.
This was surely a family favorite! So flavorful and tender.
I haven’t made meatloaf in such a long time. This is a great reminder for me, it certainly looks delicious!