Individual Cheddar Meatloaves

Meatloaf sometimes gets a bad rap.  And I guess there are probably some not so good recipes for meatloaf out there, but I found a recipe years ago that my family loves.  I think part of the reason we like this recipe so well is because the meat mixture is shaped into individual loaves.  I think that really helps to retain moistness and reduces the greasiness you can sometimes have with meatloaf.  We almost always have this meal at least once when the whole family gets together.  I always serve it with mashed potatoes, and at least one other vegetable and rolls or DeSha’s cornbread.  This is definitely in the comfort food category!

Ingredients:

2 lb. ground beef, at least 85% lean

2 eggs

1 cup oats

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup milk

2 or 3 Tablespoons dried minced onion (or 1/2 cup finely minced fresh)

salt and pepper to taste

Topping:

2/3 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon mustard

Directions:

Crumble ground beef into a large bowl and add oats, eggs, milk, cheese, minced onion, salt and pepper.  Stir until well combined and all ingredients are evenly mixed together.

Begin to shape into slightly oblong little loaves and place on a rack in a baking pan.  I use the broiler pan that came with my oven.  It works great!  Be sure to spray the rack with cooking spray so the meatloaves don’t stick.

Stir together the ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar for the topping.  The topping makes a world of difference in this recipe.

Spoon the sauce over each one of the individual loaves.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.  When done, remove from baking pan and serve.