Mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it is soooo good! I didn't use cubed cheese-just some shredded cheddar cheese and it worked out really well. The recipe says to shape the loaves into mounds and place on a cookie sheet to bake but I bought some mini loaf pans only because they hold the shape a lot better. I froze 2 of the loaves and ate the other 2 over the next several days. I'll definitely make these again!

Mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves (4 servings):

1 large sweet onion, cut in half, then each half cut into thin slices
1 tbsp butter
Salt
1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 egg, whisked
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c + 2 tbsp bbq sauce, divided
1/4 c panko
Pepper
2 oz low-fat cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4 cubes

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat, then add onion and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring every couple minutes, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Turn heat down if onions start to burn. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 425. In large bowl combine ground beef, egg, Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp bbq sauce, panko bread crumbs, dash of pepper, cheese cubes and caramelized onions. Mix until combined. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions on a foil-lined baking sheet (or place in 4 mini loaf pans on a baking sheet). Spread 1 tbsp bbq sauce over each loaf. Bake 20 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.




Packed into the mini loaf pans...






BBQ Sauce spread on top...






Fresh from the oven...

Paula Deen's Meatloaf

Growing up, I hated meatloaf, only because when my mom made it it usually turned out really dry and hard to eat. My best friend made me meatloaf several years ago to make me change my mind and I loved hers. Then I found a sweet-and-sour meatloaf (that I have listed in this blog) and I loved that as well. I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was made by Paula Deen so I had really high hopes for it. And it was sooooo good! I didn't have any bell peppers so I used a whole onion. I think I used too much onion and the meatloaf was too moist because it fell apart when I took it out of the pan. Regardless of it falling apart, the taste was so amazing. When I make this again, and I will, I think I'd double the topping. I ate my meatloaf with ketchup, because that's how I've always eaten it.

Paula Deen's Old-Fashioned Mealoaf-A.K.A. Basic Meatloaf (4 servings):

*Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/2 c bell pepper, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 oz canned diced tomatoes, without juice
1/2 c quick-cooking oats

*Topping

1/3 c ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp mustard

Preheat oven to 375. Mix ground beef, salt, pepper, onion, bell pepper, egg, tomatoes and oats together well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.

Mix ketchup, brown sugar and mustard and spread on loaf. Bake 1 hour.




Ingredients ready to be mixed for both the meatloaf and the topping...






Meatloaf in the pan...






Topping spread onto the meatloaf...






Fresh from the oven...






Enjoy!...