Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

This Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf takes a nostalgic, home-cooked dinner to the next level. Tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella combine with a moist and flavorful ground beef mixture to make dinner extra awesome.

*This post is kindly sponsored by Karibe. Sponsorship allows me to maintain my blog and continue to create new free content for you. All opinions are my own.

I know lots of people have less than fond memories of dry, overcooked meatloaf. This dish is the punchline to many jokes at the expense of busy moms trying to keep their family fed on not a lot of money and even less time. So maybe historically, those busy moms added lots of filler to stretch expensive protein to feed more people. Or maybe the phone rang or the baby started crying, and dinner got left in the oven a bit longer than it should have.

But meatloaf doesn't have to be boring or bad, and women's lives don't have to be harried and frantic. While there still may be pressure to do and be all things, we know now that we have a choice. We can say no. We can alter expectations. And most importantly, we can ask for help. We can choose to make our lives a little bit easier if we want to. And dinner can still be awesome.

What makes this Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf so awesome?

This recipe is anything but dry and boring. Even when I was eating the leftovers on the third day, it was still moist and flavorful. Well seasoned, with your favorite tomato sauce or passata running throughout, it's savoury and acidic, with just a touch of sweetness. The whole family will love it.

And not least because it's also loaded with cheese. The meat and cheese are layered together rather than just being dumped on top. This means you can get a bit of gooey melted mozzarella in each bite. I like to serve this with classic mashed potatoes and maybe some microwave veggies. I like to make things easy for myself. If there are leftovers, I love this on a meatloaf sandwich. This recipe can easily serve six, though, so if your family is bigger than mine, leftovers won't be an issue.

Choosing the right tools

Meatloaf is a busy mom classic, and having the right tools makes everything just a little bit easier. This is why I love my knives set and utensil set from Karibe. I always have what I need on hand, so every step of the process is streamlined and effecient. From chopping to prepping to serving, I've got all the tools I need at my fingertips.

Karibe is a black-owned kitchenware company run by genuinely delightful human beings. They've put thought and care into crafting all their products to make sure I can feel confident in the kitchen. So whether I'm in a rush or taking my time, I never have to go hunting for the right knife or utensil. They've thought of everything.

Ingredients

Here's everything you need for this quick and easy recipe. The full details are in the recipe card below.

• Ground beef - I go for about 10% fat. You definitely don't want it too lean. That's how you end up with dry meatloaf. But too much fat can also just be greasy as we're cooking this in a loaf pan, and the fat has nowhere to go.
• Tomato sauce or passata - Use leftover or canned. Make your life easy.
• Eggs
• Breadcrumbs
• Dried parsley
• Salt
• Pepper
• Shreded Mozzarella - The drier, low-moisture kind, not the fresh stuff packed in water.

For information on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Tips for making Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

There's a reason meatloaf is an old school classic. It's super easy to make. You'll combine most of your ingredients in a big mixing bowl,then mix it together gently. You can use a big spoon or spatula, but I find it's easiest to just get in there with clean hands. You want to be light and gentle. Overworking or packing the mixture too densely can lead make your meatloaf heavy and brick-like.

We're layering the meat mixture with the cheese in a loaf pan, so it's going to go meat, cheese, meat, cheese meat. Just evenly divide everything and press it gently into the loaf pan. We'll do half the baking just like that, then we'll add more tomato sauce over the top and finish baking it so it gets a sweet, tomato topping.

Let this cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before serving.

FAQ

Meatloaf can be awesome, and this Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf is likely to become a family favorite rather than a family joke. Give it a try and let me know how it goes in the comments below.

Looking for more awesome meatloaf recipes? Try this Cranberry Glazed Turkey Meatloaf or an indulgent Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf.

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