Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Meatloaf dinner was a staple in my home growing up. As a kid, it wasn't my favorite thing. My mother makes a great meatloaf. I love it now. I guess I was just being a brat-child. Thinking back, I guess I thought it was weird to put oatmeal & egg in meat.

Maybe it was the fact that my dad told us that when he made meatloaf it was actually cat-loaf?

Whether you like it or not in 2007, it was voted the 7th favorite dish in the United States according to the Good Housekeeping website. The "loaf" shape is made by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on an ordinary baking pan (my mom's way.) Mom also added the oatmeal to the meatloaf to stretch the meat. It all makes sense now, there was seven of us!

In any case it's one of those things I love now. Here's how I made mine cheeseburger style.



Bacon. No I don't use bacon in everything, just everything lately! Hey, it's cheeseburger meatloaf. Who dosen't like bacon on a cheeseburger? Anyway, I used half of this package which was 6oz. Chop it up and get it crispy.



Take two pounds of ground beef and add the following:



6oz of tomato paste



A few TBSP of mustard



Sticking with meatloaf tradition we gotta add something to stretch the meat. Stuffing mix. I learned this trick from my friend jLoud. It seasons the meat nicely. I've used crushed Cheese-It crackers too. Either way is good.



One egg.



Mix well.



Don't forget about the bacon. Once its done, drain it and set aside until later.



Take mixture and set it on plastic wrap. Flatten it out by hand and then cover the top with another sheet of plastic wrap.



Now use a rolling pin to roll it into a nice flat even meat-sheet.



Now its time to top the meat-sheet with the cheeseburger stuff.



Chopped onion



Chopped pickles



Chopped tomatoes, american cheese, and the bacon.



Now put the plastic wrap back over it and push the ingredients into the meat. Don't crush it, just push them into it lightly. Keep it covered and put it in the freezer for about 20 miniutes to firm up a little. This makes it much easier to roll up. I have been rolling up meatloafs like a roulade for a while. I like the way it distributes the ingredients evenly and it looks really cool when you slice it to have a spiral shaped slice. Something a little different than the traditional "loaf" but thats what I like.



Start the roll by hand for about one turn.



Now that there's a turn it it, grab the plastic wrap and a straight edge.





This is very simple. As you pull the plastic wrap out from under the meat it really rolls up itself.





Boom! Done.



Place on a rack and put some foil under it to cach drippings for easy clean up.



Use a probe thermometer and bake in 350 degree oven until internal temp reaches 160, about 40 miniutes or so.



Looks good! Let is rest for about 10 min before cutting.



Plate up and enjoy.

Ingredients List

• 2 lbs of ground beef
• (1) 6oz can of tomato paste
• yellow mustard
• stuffing mix
• (1) Egg
• several strips of bacon
• (1) tomato
• 1/2 onion
• dill pickles
• american cheese