Easy Cheesy Meatloaf Recipe

A few years ago my husband wanted to trick the boys by disguising boxes of LEGO bricks under the Christmas tree, so he wrapped up something that sounded similar when shaken: boxes of Velveeta Macaroni and Cheese. Much to our surprise my youngest son was so happy to get his favorite Mac n’ cheese. He was equally excited when we announced our new recipe for dinner was Easy Cheesy Meatloaf with Velveeta cheese.

In our house, one must say Vel-veeeeeeeee-ta with a huge grin and a skip in your step.

Velveeta is a premium, delicious melted cheese we often use in our favorite cheese dip, but we took the famous two-pound loaf of Velveeta and gave it a bit of a different spin.

What could be more fun than making your first meatloaf and adding Velveeta?

Confession: I never made meatloaf before tonight. Ever. Each recipe I make challenges me to step inside the kitchen. If I can make it, then anyone can.

Using liquid gold means oozy gooey deliciousness sure to please with Velveeta cheese.

This Easy Cheesy Meatloaf has an insane amount of cheese inside and it sure was a fun recipe to create. The front of the Velveeta cheese box indicated it “melts better and 45% less fat than cheddar cheese!”

Easy Cheesy Meatloaf Recipe with Velveeta cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 cups Italian style bread crumbs
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 20 ounces of a 2 pound Velveeta cheese loaf

Instructions:

1. Chop onion and sauté in pan on medium heat with extra virgin olive oil.
2. Chop bell pepper and add to the pan when onions are almost done cooking. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. In a bowl, beat 3 eggs then add bread crumbs, ground beef, and minced garlic. Mix.
4. Add cooked onion and bell pepper to the meat mixture. Mix thoroughly.
5. In an ungreased 9×13 baking pan, use 2/3 of the meat mixture to form a loaf in the middle of the pan. Leave extra room on the sides.
6. Hollow out a wide channel in the meat mixture.
7. Slice the Velveeta loaf in four ounce sections, reserving four ounces for step 11. Lay two sections in the bottom of the meat mixture. Cover with the other two.
8. Use the remaining meat mixture to cover the top of the cheese and form the meatloaf. Shape as needed.
9. Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke 6 holes into the top of the meatloaf, going down into the cheese.
10. Bake in oven at 350° for 55 minutes or when internal temperature reaches 160°. Pull out the meatloaf and drain it.
11. Optional step: Add four ounces cut into small chunks of Velveeta cheese on the top. Place back in oven for 10 minutes, or until melted.

Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 65 minutes

The Verdict:
9 year old son: Two thumbs up.
7 year old son: Two thumbs up. Wants to eat it every day.
My husband: Loved it and is stealing leftovers for lunch this week.
Me: Best meatloaf I have ever tried, not only for the cheese but because this is a ketchup free meatloaf.

Note: I like to make sure my onions are super cooked so they have a little bit of a crunch and my boys don’t mind the taste so much. Cooking the green pepper was a great choice for my boys since they didn’t notice the sneaky vegetable inside. Next time I make the Easy Cheesy Meatloaf I will use 8 ounces of Velveeta and the leanest cut of meat. I have heard putting bread in the meatloaf pan will soak up the extra juice, but my husband recommended we try and insert a rack inside the pan.

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I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Velveeta. #Cbias #shop #VelveetaRecipes All opinions and photographs are my own.