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Nothing beats meatloaf when it comes to a quick, easy, delicious dinner dish. Perfect on a cold night. And who doesn’t love the leftovers? Meatloaf sandwiches are one of my all-time favorites! But, no need to have boring meatloaf. Chewy? Ew. Dry? Ew-ier. Boring? No! This jalapeno cheddar meatloaf is what meatloaf is supposed to be. Crazy moist. Lightly spicy. And oh, so tender. I’ll take two slices (but don’t tell anyone)!
Cheesy Greatness
I used cheddar in my jalapeno cheddar meatloaf. I know, Mr. Obvious, right? But you don’t have to go with cheddar. Pepper jack is fantastic, too. Or use a Mexican blend. Any good melting cheese will work.
I highly recommend that you shred or grate your cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.
If you like little cheese ‘nuggets’ in your meatloaf, use cubed cheese instead. I would recommend that you cut your cheese (yeah, I said that) into small cubes so they get nice and melty soft. You don’t want to hit a hard chunk of cheese when you take a bite.
Is It Hot In Here?
Want more heat? Use a habanero or serrano pepper instead of the jalapeno. Substitute a hot cheese for the cheddar. And a few good splashes of hot sauce added to the ketchup in the glaze never hurt anyone either!
Want less heat? Bell pepper or poblano peppers are a great substitute.
Make Me A Sandwich!
I like to slice the leftover meatloaf into thin (sorta) slices. I heat a bit of oil in a skillet then add the slices to warm them up and give them a little char. Then, I serve them on thick toasted Texas toast with ketchup. Or on hamburger buns!
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Also try my copycat Cracker Barrel meatloaf.
Jalapeno Cheddar Meatloaf
Ingredients
For the meatloaf
- 1 ยฝ pounds ground beef
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ยผ cup onion chopped
- ยฝ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 1 medium jalapeno seeded, diced
- ยฝ teaspoon dried oregano
- ยฝ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
For the topping
- ยผ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
Instructions
For the topping
- In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard.
For the meatloaf
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Spray a loaf pan or baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Place the ground beef in a large bowl.
- Add the remaining meatloaf ingredients.
- Using your hands, combine all ingredients but don't over-work the mixture.
- Transfer to the loaf pan and form into a loaf.
- Pour the topping over the loaf and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Check the internal temperature. The loaf is done once it reaches 160 F. Bake longer if needed.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Drain any excess fat.
- Using a spoon, spread sauce mixture over top of meatloaf.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
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