Mini Taco Meatloaves

Running Mama Cooks has been my new run-to blog lately.  The lovely Kelly is a busy mom with kids close in age to mine, so we're on the same page when it comes to needing a meal that is EASY to prepare.  She is also a fitness instructor, so I know she's dependable when it comes to looking for meals that are healthy.

Her Taco Meatloaf is a perfect example, and we gobbled these up.  Ryan kept giggling at the idea of meat in the muffin tins, and Danny ate these like it was his last meal.  The individual loaves are great for portion control, and are nice and easy to throw into the freezer for a last-minute lunch.

(I have an embarrassingly low tolerance for heat when it comes to food, so next time I will use a regular can of diced tomatoes.)

Mini Taco Meatloaves

from Running Mama Cooks

• 1 lb ground turkey breast
  
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 tbs olive oil
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
  
• 1 10oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (I used RoTel), drained
  
• 1 cup whole grain tortilla chips, crushed
  
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
  
• 2 tbs taco sauce
  
• 1/4 cup salsa con queso

Preheat oven to 400

Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onions until tender.

Place tortilla chips in a ziplock bag and crush until pieces are very small. I used a rolling pin.

Mix all ingredients except for the taco and queso sauce until well combined. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and add meatloaf mixture.

Brush top of meatloaf with taco sauce

Bake for 35 minutes. In the meantime, place salsa con queso in a microwave bowl and heat until hot. Once meatloaf is sliced, drizzle hot queso over meatloaf.

serve with sour cream, chips, salsa and any other condiments you like with tacos!

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

I love Pioneer Woman's BBQ meatballs and a few weeks ago I tried to turn it into a meatloaf recipe.

It did not go well.


Then I suddenly remembered that Brooke made an awesome BBQ meatloaf (thanks to the Neelys!) for us a couple of years go and I went right to her blog to find the recipe.

This meatloaf was really full of flavor and satisfying. While the photos leave much to be desired, rest assured that this was a dinner of comfort.


Ingredients

• Pinch paprika
• Pinch sugar
• Pinch onion powder
• 1 teaspoon crab boil seasoning, (recommended: Old Bay)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce, reserving 1/2 cup for the top
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 pounds lean ground turkey
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix BBQ seasoning, crab boil seasoning, soy sauce, beaten egg, 1 cup of the BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper and garlic. Saute until tender. Remove from heat and add to wet mix.

Pour mixture into bowl with the ground turkey. Add bread crumbs and mix all together with your hands.

Transfer the meat mixture to a cookie sheet or baking pan. Using your hands, shape the meat into an oblong or rectangular shape. *Cook's Note: Alternately, you can pat the meat into a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and pour 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce on the top of the loaf.

Bake for 35 minutes. Remove and add the reserved 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce to the top and continue to bake for 20 more minutes.

French Onion Meatloaf - Revisited

About six months ago, I made French Onion Meatloaf. It was kind of my own little creation, and those are few and far between!

While I did like it, I didn't LOVE it. It wasn't quite French-Onion-y for me, but it was a great start. I was excited to give it another shot.

I made it again a few days ago, and please don't be turned off by the gross picture. This was GOOD. I wanted a meatloaf that was moist enough to not need gravy, and I think I got it. Actually, it was JUST slightly too wet. But that's okay. :)

Ingredients:

• EVOO
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 T. Italian seasoning
• 2 & 1/2 T. Ketchup
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1/2-3/4 cup beef stock
• a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese
• a handful of French-fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute the onion in the oil until softened and done.

Combine onions with all remaining ingredients except for the French-fried onions into a bowl. Shape into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9 x. 5 inch pan. Sprinkle fried onions onto top; gently press them into the loaf a bit so they "stick." Bake, covered loosely with foil, for 50-60 minutes, or until meatloaf is cooked through.

Taco Meatloaf

I used to get daily e-mails from Hungry Girl and I enjoyed seeing her recipes and insight on things. I've changed my email address and never got around to re-subscribing, but I probably should...

Anyway, my cousin bought me HG's book for my birthday. I've bookmarked a bunch of things, and this Taco Meatloaf is the first I've finally cooked.


I opted to use beef instead of turkey, and I don't really know why since I like turkey so much better. I also put the meat into my muffin tin rather than an actual loaf; just felt like a change, I suppose!

I do think I overmixed a bit, because while the taste was okay, the consistency was kind of rough. I would definitely make this again, but I will likely use turkey like HG advises.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/2 cup canned sweet corn (I used frozen.)
• 1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix (Oh, CRAP - I just now realized that I used the whole packet. Ugh. I guess that contributed to the weirdness...!?)
• 2 slices fat-free cheddar cheese (I omitted since I was doing the muffin tin thing.)
• 1/2 salsa
• 1/2 cup fat-free shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook peppers and onions for 3 minutes over medium high heat in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine onions and peppers with turkey, corn, and seasoning mix. Spread half of the mixture evenly into the bottom of a loaf pan sprayed with non-stick spray.

Layer the two slices of cheese on top of the mixture. Evenly top with the remaining meat mixture.

Pour the salsa over the top of the loaf. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Top loaf with shredded cheese. Return loaf to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.

Meat"loaf" Parmesan

Another hit from Brooke!

She said it was her husband's favorite, and I can see why - it DOES taste like a giant meatball!! Mine sort of didn't keep its "loaf" shape, but that's okay. Delicious nonetheless!


I wanted to throw some shredded mozzarella inside and/or on top, but realized I had none. So... I chopped up a couple of things of string cheese. ;)

I served the meatloaf with this.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup prepared spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Heat oven to 375°F. Using your hands, mix together beef, half the spaghetti sauce, bread crumbs, half the Parmesan cheese, onion, egg and Italian seasoning in a medium mixing bowl. Shape into loaf and place in an 12x8x2-inch baking dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and cheese. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or to desired doneness. During baking time, if desired, use a baster to remove excess grease from pan.

Stuffed Meatloaf

When I first saw Giada's Stuffed Meatloaf recipe, I couldn't wait to try it. The homemade stuffing just sounded so ridiculously good!

When the day came to make it, however, I was pressed for time and just used Stove-Top. Sigh...


It was still really, really good, though, and I can't wait to try it again with her stuffing.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 8 ounces ground veal (I just used about a pound and a half of ground beef)
• 2 cups (packed) Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta, recipe follows, or your favorite stuffing
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup grated provolone
  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the Parmesan and bread crumbs. Mix in the beef, pork, and veal. Pack half of the meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. Spoon the stuffing over the meat in the pan, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Top with the remaining meat mixture, enclosing the stuffing completely and pressing firmly. Spoon the marinara sauce over the meatloaf, then sprinkle with the provolone cheese.

Bake, uncovered, until the meat loaf is firm to the touch in the center and has pulled away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices and serve.

Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta:

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 8 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 (7.4-ounce) jars roasted peeled whole chestnuts, coarsely broken
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 pound day-old ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes. Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley. Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta. Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten. Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mix in the eggs.

Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Turkey Florentine Meatloaf

I really, really like meatloaf. It tastes good and, really, what's not to love about a meal that you spend 5 minutes with and then let the oven do the rest of the work??



Plus, this recipe for Turkey Florentine Meatloaf from Pennies on a Platter is relatively healthy. Turkey, spinach, low-fat cheese... okay, maybe "healthy" is the wrong word. But it's not super BAD!

I had a bit of an issue getting the stuffing in and then relayering it, but it ended up just right and I would definitely make it again. YUM!


Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 eggs (or 1 egg and 2 egg whites), slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (optional)
• 1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 3/4 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8- or 9- inch loaf pan with foil with dull side toward food. (I just PAM'ed it.)

Combine ground turkey, 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce, bread crumbs, onion, eggs, Parmesan cheese and fennel seed in medium bowl.

Press half of turkey mixture into foil-lined pan. Press a 1-inch indentation down center of mixture, leaving 1-inch thickness on all sides.

Toss spinach and mozzarella cheese together; spoon into indentation, mounding in center. Press remaining turkey mixture evenly over top, sealing edges.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Spoon remaining spaghetti sauce over meat loaf. Bake 15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes.

French Onion Meatloaf

A couple of weeks ago, someone on the cooking message board posted a link to her blog detailing a "Fried Onion and Ranch Meatloaf." I went right to her site, starred it in my Google Reader, and planned on adding it to my menu.

Somehow I got it in my head that it was a "FRENCH Onion Meatloaf," so when it was time to make it for my family, I decided to see what I could come up with. This is HUGE for me, folks; rarely do I have a culinary "vision" where I decide to deviate from a recipe too much. I am NOT the kind of cook who can just get an idea and whip it up; I need something in writing!

Anyway, so the other night my brother Jonny was coming over with his girlfriend to try to fix my computer. I asked him what I could make for him for dinner, and he said, "Hmm. Make something weird. Last time we came for dinner, you made something odd, and it was cool." (That "something odd" was florentine meatballs.) So I figured my attempts at a French Onion Meatloaf would be perfect.

This meatloaf was okay. I didn't love it, but I do have big ideas for the future. I think the soup mix and the fried onions made it a bit too dry; I served it with some gravy, but I'd like to avoid that in the future. I think I'll add some broth or something to the meatloaf to give it a little more moisture. In trying to compare it to my mom's awesome French Onion Soup, I think I will also saute some sliced onions and throw them in, and maybe do a little something with mozzarella.

So stay tuned - this is not the last you will see of this meatloaf!

A BILLION thanks to Adventures in Home Cooking; without your post, my little meatloaf idea would never have been born! And your recipe sounds delightful and I do plan on making it soon! :)

Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
1lb ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 T. Italian seasoning
2 & 1/2 T. Ketchup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
6 to 8 oz. French-fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat egg. Combine with beef, soup mix, Italian seasoning, bread crumbs, ketchup, and about half of fried onions. Shape into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9 x. 5 inch pan. Sprinkle remaining fried onions onto top; gently press them into the loaf a bit so they "stick." Bake, covered loosely with foil, for 50-60 minutes, or until meatloaf is cooked through.

Meatloaf with Smothered Mushrooms and Cheesy Cauliflower

I thought this looked interesting when I saw it on the Food Network's website, but I wasn't a big fan. It was good, don't get me wrong, but nothing great; I much more prefer Rachael's Cheeseburger Meatloaf. Much more flavor and a little simpler.

I don't really have much else to say about this. I guess I'm just kind of "ehh" about tonight's meal...


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds ground beef, pork and veal mix (meatloaf mix) or ground sirloin – your choice
• 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• 4 sprigs fresh sage, finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 handfuls bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
• 1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 large head cauliflower
• 1/3 cup, about 3 ounces, Boursin or other garlic and herb soft cheese
• A handful grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it
• 3 tablespoons chives, chopped or snipped, about 12 blades
• 20 crimini or baby portobello mushrooms
• 1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
• A shot Scotch or dry sherry, optional
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/4 cup half-and-half or cream, 1 turn of the pan

Place meat in a bowl. Grate onion using a box or handheld grater directly over the meat bowl. Add sage, egg, bread crumbs, Worcestershire and mustard, salt and pepper then mix meat to combine. Score meat into 4 sections and form 4 oval shaped loaves, 1 to 1/2 inches thick.

Preheat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatloaves and cook 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

While meatloaf cooks, add chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, to a deep pot. Trim away greens and stems from the base of cauliflower. Cut away the core with a sharp paring knife. Set cored head into pot with broth. Cover pot and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook cauliflower, covered, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover the pot and mash the cauliflower. Let some liquid cook off as you smash the cheeses into the cauliflower. As the mixture thickens, turn off heat and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in chives and transfer cauliflower to as serving dish.

Once meatloaves are removed, place the skillet back over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and the mushrooms. Cover the skillet with foil and nest the foil into pan with a second smaller skillet, smothering the mushrooms. Cook until deep brown and tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the foil, add flour and cook a minute longer. Add in a shot of Scotch or sherry, if you have either on hand, then whisk in the beef stock. Stir in half-and-half or cream and bring to a bubble. Season the mushroom gravy with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place the meatloaves on dinner plates and douse with hot, smothered mushroom gravy, spoon the cauliflower alongside.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Yep, another Rachael recipe. Not too surprising, however, when you consider that I own seven of her books, subscribe to her magazine, and watch her TV show when I can...



Anyway, this was pretty good. It was a bit weird because of the meat/quantity thing (see my notes) but it was good. I'd make it again. It's from her magazine, but when I ripped it out, I forgot to write which issue. I looked for it online, but couldn't find it.

Here it is:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons "EVOO"
• 1 red onion, finely chopped (I just used white.)
  
• 2/3 cup ketchup (I also added about a tablespoon of mustard.)
  
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup bread-and-butter pickle chips, chopped (I omitted because Pat doesn't like pickles. I'd love to try this WITH the pickles...)
  
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I actually used 2lbs, because I have my ground meat frozen in 1-lb packages. I added a little extra of everything. Oh, and I used turkey instead of beef.)
  
• 8 ounces cheddar, cut into 1/3" cubes (I just used shredded.)
  
• 2 pounds new red potatoes
• 3/4 heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 400. Lightly oil a rimmed backing sheet. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, bread crumbs, eggs, and pickles; mix in the onions. Crumble in the beef, add the cheese, and mix together. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and shape into a 4x12" loaf. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, half the potatoes and place them in a large pot with enough salted water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, return to the pot, and mash with the cream.

Let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the mashed potatoes.