I’ve been craving meatloaf for weeks, but I wanted something a little ✨different✨. So, I decided to throw just a little spin on the classic and make this cheese studded Cheddar Cheeseburger Meatloaf. This meatloaf-cheeseburger hybrid is just as comforting as the kind mom used to make, but with a little more personality (hello, melty nuggets of cheddar!). And hey, if you prefer a regular old meatloaf, try my Classic Homemade Meatloaf.
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Pictured with Fluffy Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes and green beans.
What Kind of Beef Should I Use for Cheeseburger Meatloaf?
I suggest using an 85/15 ground beef because the higher fat content ensures a more tender and moist meatloaf. You can use lower fat ground beef, but your meatloaf will likely be a little more firm and less juicy. Also, try to use ground beef that has been double ground, or that has a finer texture rather than a chunkier single grind. This will help your meatloaf hold together better.
Can I Use a Different Type of Cheese?
As I was eating this meatloaf my mind started wandering to all the different types of cheese that would work well here. Blue cheese, swiss, feta, gouda… OMG, the possibilities! Yeah, so I would definitely encourage experimentation with the cheese in this recipe. I will say though, that during the testing phase I tried both mild cheddar and sharp cheddar, and the sharp cheddar was far better than the mild.
What to Serve with Meatloaf
Meatloaf is such a classic American dish that it only makes sense to make it part of a classic American “meat and potatoes” dinner. Fluffy Mashed Potatoes would be the most obvious, but you could also pair the meatloaf with something like Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Loaded Smashed Potatoes, or even a simple Baked Potato. And then even if this is a “meat and potatoes” dinner, I like to add a little green to round things out. Add some Steamed Green Beans, Oven Roasted Broccoli, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts to your plate.
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Servings 4 2 slices eachIngredients
Meatloaf
- 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs ($0.06)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1 large egg ($0.27)
- 1/2 cup minced onion ($0.16)
- 4 oz. sharp cheddar ($0.85)
- 1 lb. ground beef (85/15) ($5.29)
Glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup ($0.41)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.04)
- 1 tsp yellow mustard ($0.03)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a small bowl stir together the breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl, lightly whisk the egg.
- Finely mince the onion. Roughly chop the cheddar cheese so that it is in pieces about the same size as a small bean.
- Add the ground beef, seasoned breadcrumbs, whisked egg, minced onion, and chopped cheddar to a bowl. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until incorporated.
- Place the meat mixture in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet and shape into a rectangle, approximately 7″ long, 4″ wide, and 1.5″ thick.
- To make the glaze, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Spread the glaze over the unbaked meatloaf.
- Bake the meatloaf in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF. Remove the meatloaf from the oven, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then slice into eight pieces and serve.
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Equipment
- Meat Thermometer
- White Cutting Boards
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Cheeseburger Meatloaf – Step by Step Photos
Begin by preheating the oven to 350ºF. Stir together 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 3/4 tsp salt in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk one large egg.
Finely mince about 1/2 cup onion (this was 1/2 of a small onion for me), and roughly chop 4 oz. sharp cheddar, so the pieces are about the size of a small bean. This will create little nuggets of cheddar throughout the meatloaf. I found that if I used shredded cheddar the pieces were so small that they melted in and disappeared into the meat.
Place 1 pound ground beef (85/15) in a bowl and add the seasoned breadcrumbs, whisked egg, minced onion, and chopped cheddar. Mix these ingredients together with your hands until they are evenly combined.
Place the meat mixture in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet, then shape it into a rectangle about 7″ long, 4″ wide, and 1.5″ deep. I suggest using a casserole dish that has at least a couple inches of room around the meatloaf so they fat and excess juices have room to drain away. The meatloaf still stays moist, but can firm up enough to hold together in slices this way.
In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp yellow mustard, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Spread the sauce over the cheeseburger meatloaf.
Bake the Cheddar Cheeseburger Meatloaf for 50-55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF. I highly suggest getting one of these digital thermometers to take the guessing game out of cooking meat. They’re very inexpensive and worth every penny. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Let the Cheddar Cheeseburger Meatloaf rest for 5-10 minutes after you take it out of the oven, then slice into eight pieces, and serve!
A solid 5 star go to meatloaf recipe. Great flavor, holds together nice for a future sandwich and the sauce, awesome.
Excellent! Very smooth, melt-in-your mouth in every bite. Thank you
Has anyone tried baking these in a muffin tin? Cooking for two, so always looking for easy ways to portion things out.
Yummy! Use recipe as is! Delish!
When I make meatloaf, this is the recipe I use!! My husband also loves it. It’s very moist and I just love the cheese!
I mixed in about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of chopped pickle because what’s a cheeseburger without pickle? It was sublime. From this day forth, all meatloaf made in my kitchen shall have cheddar chunks and chopped pickle.
This recipe was terrific! Love the mouthfeel of the melty bits of cheddar. The glaze was tangy with the right amount of sweetness. Very comforting and dare I say better than Mom’s! 😜
Delicious.
I put the egg and the onion in the magic bullet to liquify and then added the liquid to to the dry ingredients. I used grated cheese because that’s what I had and the meatloaf was a huge success. Thank you!
I have this on my list to cook this week. Can you use Shredded cheese or is it better to use a block that you cut up?
You can absolutely use shredded cheese. XOXO -Monti
While you can use shredded cheese, the smaller pieces tend to melt into the meat and you probably won’t get the melty pieces throughout like you see in the photos above. The chunks make the cheese more pronounced in the mixture. :)
Would you recommend freezing before or after baking?
I would probably just freeze the slices after baking. :)
This meatloaf is amazing! Would it be possible to double the recipe versus cooking two separate loaves?
You could probably do that, although I don’t know how long it would take to bake through without testing it. :)
I used 95% lean grass fed longhorn ground beef. It was so good that I wished I had doubled the recipe!! We made the mashed potatoes and used your recipe for roasted carrots. If you can find longhorn it is high in Omega 3 fatty acids, so you can eat this meatloaf as often as you want and help your heart.
I want to make this to meal prep for the week. How long can it store in the fridge ? Or is it better to freeze it ? In which case how should I re heat it ?? Thank you looks tasty
I usually keep leftovers like this for a max of four days. You can freeze it instead, if you prefer. To reheat, I would transfer it to the refrigerator the day before so it can thaw, then just microwave as usual. :)
4 days is a very outdated safety measure no different than still insisting you cook chicken to 180 degrees. Leftovers easily last 5-6 days without loss of taste or risk of bacterial growth, spoilage, etc. Realistically, websites stick to this 4 day nonsense to keep from being sued in case someone does something dumb like leave it out on the counter too long and then try to put it back in the fridge. A full work week is just fine.
This recipe is awesome. Simple and delicious.
Super yummy, super easy! Throwing it in the oven and getting 55 minutes to get some work done was awesome!
This recipe is delicious just as written and the glaze is awesome!
So freaking delicious!!! It actually tastes like a cheeseburger 🍔 I didn’t have Worcestershire sauce so I use balsamic vinegar instead and still tastes great! I paired it with crispy baked baby carrots and boiled broccoli 🥦 yummy… definitely a new regular in my recipe rotation
Added diced jalapeño- really good Sunday night dinner!
I’ve been making this once every couple of months with Gouda. It’s been unbelievably delicious every time. Smoky and creamy and totally indulgent (but still fits into my calorie count perfectly)!
Loved this. Next time, I will make more glaze. It was delicious. Thanks!
Would cooking time be the same or less if I use ground TURKEY instead?
It should be about the same. :)
Can you add bacon to this?
Sure! That would be awesome.
I’m gluten free. Any idea how this would work using oats instead of bread crumbs? Any suggestion if I decide to try it?
I’ve never done it so I can’t say for sure, but my first try would be to just sub the ground oats 1:1. I think there are also some gluten-free bread crumbs on the market, so you may be able to find those at the store! :)
Kikkoman gluten free panko !!! Also super for breading 🙂
This is so good. Highly recommend it. I add 5 mins under the broiler at the end to crisp up the top. Next time I think I will put it in muffin pan so they all will be crispy because the end pieces on the loaf are the best. Would you cut the cooking time in half if in muffin pan?
Unfortunately, it’s hard to say without testing it. :)
This got a 4.5 from the kids tonight. Made it as directed on a rimmed baking sheet. Turned out great. Paired it with your garlic herb mashed potatoes which the family also likes. Made two loaves so leftovers tomorrow. Thanks again!
Hello, this recipe sounds delicious but I cook for some picky eaters who don’t like ketchup (I know they’re crazy), do you think the glaze would work with bbq sauce instead? I can’t wait to try this out!
BBQ sauce would be awesome on this. Great idea!
Simple and also amazing recipe… nice
I made this last night I used shredded sharp cheddar as that’s what I had. Very,good recipe although I don’t think I would do the cheese again. Maybe the shred was. Too small but it didn’t seem to do anything either way. I divided it into two loaves and put one in the freezer for later. The smaller loaf finished in about 45 minutes. Will definitely make again.
This is so good. Highly recommend it. Next time I think I will put it in muffin pan so they all will be crispy because the end pieces on the loaf are the best. Would you cut the cooking time in half if in muffin pan?
I got this recipe in the “No Pasta, No Rice” meal plan. The side for this meal is the “Oven Roasted Frozen Broccoli”. The Broccoli roasts at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. The meatloaf bakes for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.
Approximately how long should I cook the meatloaf at 400 degrees?
Hi Shay! To be safe, I’d say at least 45 minutes to an hour. Just be sure to check the internal temperature.
This meatloaf recipe is is an absolute favorite! The smoked paprika and cheddar cheese really make it unique and different!
I could NOT sign up for your Newsletter as your site rejected my email!!! WTH is up with that!!?? My email address has been the same for about 7 years!! I gave up trying to post after about 10 tries and rejections. HELP!!
Hi Christine! Shoot us an email at support@budgetbytes.com and we’ll get that set up for you!
I’ve never been a fan of meatloaf until I made this recipe! I’ve made it multiple times using whatever cheese I have on hand. It is a family favorite!
I’m doing this meatloaf tonight and I know that we are going to love it! And I love your recipe book, budgeted and I am saving money because of it😊
First time I ever made meatloaf and the family absolutely loved this! I needed to cook it about 75 minutes. I did not have Worcestershire so I subbed a dash of soy sauce. The whole house smelled like a cheeseburger!
Ok WOW. I made this tonight using ground venison that was in our freezer, and it was SO GOOD. My husband and I almost finished the entire recipe by ourselves. Cannot wait to make this again. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!
Oh my goodness! My finicky son and skeptical wife were gobsmacked by this delicious recipe! Thanks for making this dad the hero in the story! You have a wonderful site with delicious easy to follow recipes.
Sincerely,
Vince
I always disliked meatloaf growing up and don’t think I had made it since adulthood. I tried it tonight when searching for a recipe to use up some ground beef….this was delicious!!! I had 2…maybe 3 slices myself and my 3 year old kept wanting more! He ate almost 2 slices, definitely a win for this family!! I had seasoned breadcrumbs so I subbed those and some shredded cheese in places of block, everything else remained as called for and it was absolutely delicious! Thanks for a wonderful recipe that will be a staple In our household now!!
This is the best meatloaf recipe that I have ever made! Thank you so much for sharing.
I was hesitant at first, but once I took that first bite I was in meatloaf heaven. I did as worchestire sauce an wow. I have some for the freezer as well. Another slam dunk for you Beth an the budget byte team.
I meant I added the worchestire sauce an I wondered if you experimented with ground turkey?
Wonderful! i had never baked my meatloaf in anything other than a loaf pan and your way was so much quicker! I followed your recipe exactly but was out of bread crumbs, so I used butter crackers (omg). Thank you for a great recipe. We’re having meatloaf sandwiches for lunch!
This is my husband’s all time favorite meatloaf recipe. It’s a huge hit every time I make it. Thanks again, Beth, for another great recipe!
I hated meatloaf growing up, probably because I wasn’t served this. I substituted pepperjack because I had a half brick left over, and used store bought bbq sauce that has been lurking in the fridge instead of making my own sauce. It was perfect! I roasted some whole sweet potatoes to accompany. Had to beg husband not to eat in one sitting.
Great work using what you had on hand! I’m going to have to try it with pepperjack!
Can this be frozen after cooking?
It sure can!
I substituted ground turkey and added 1/2 cup of diced fresh white mushrooms and it was delicious. I’d make again but add a little more chopped mushrooms.
Great swaps Karen!
Simple and amazing recipe!! Thank you!
Thank you Janelle!
Does this really slice well ? , My meatloaf never does ,but want to try this recipe ?
Try using a serrated knife, that should help!
Made this tonight and made a meatloaf hater actually eat two pieces. Love it
WIN!!!
Made this tonight and it was a hit for the entire family and our neighbor !
Love it!
Absolutely phenomenal!!
Thanks!
This was one of the best meatloaf recipes I have ever tried. I never stuffed my meatloaf with anything before and this was delicious. Thank you for posting this. Will definitely make it again.
Pretty good…
I admit I made a mistake by not reading the recipe throughly before starting cooking. When I saw “minced onion” and I read that as the one found in spice section with actual “minced onion” label on it. Then later in the instruction, it says to finely mince the onion… then I ended up tossing the entire thing out and started over again with a fresh onion.
I’d reserve minced onion for the actual minced onion found in the spice section. I’m going to replace that with “chopped onion” for the sake of clarity in my recipe box.
I made this tonight and the fam loved it!!!! Thanks Bugdetbytes!!!! This is now a family recipe!!!
Made this tonight with only minor changes: used 93% lean ground beef, added some finely chopped celery leaves and 1/2 t onion powder to the rest of the ingredients. Turned out very tasty and of course….cheesy! I especially like that this recipe has only 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs to bind it together. If I see 1 cup or more of bread/oatmeal, etc. I tend to look for another recipe. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow! Thanks, Beth!
Do you think I could sub in BBQ sauce? I have that one hand in my ketchup-free household
Yes, I think that would be really delicious!
I have been using this blog for about 7 months, and this is the first time i have made a comment. First off I want to thank you for helping me eat a more healthy, better diet on a very limited budget. I’ve made the cheeseburger meatloaf and it was fantastic. However, I would like to try and make it in muffin tins like you stated you did. Should I line the muffin tins with parchment paper or spray with a nonstick cooking spray to help removing them from the tins?
Once again, thanks for all the helpful tips and great recipes!
I would spray with non-stick spray. :) I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes!
This was a big hit for my husband and me. We’re trying to turn over a new leaf fiscally and physically. I used ground turkey (85/15) and shredded mild cheddar because that’s what I had available. The cheese wasn’t evident in the finished loaf, but added something special in taste. In the glaze, I used soy sauce and a little onion powder instead of Worcestershire and it came out delicious. Just downloaded the app! Great site, Beth!
Made this last night and tripled the recipe for lunch leftovers and to freeze a whole cooked loaf for a later supper. This was so so good. I’ll experiment with different cheeses next time, but this was terrific as is. I used venison that was mixed with some ground beef for fat content and it was delish. I was worried about it being too dry but it turned out great. Thank you!
I’m actually making mine with Venison/ground beef too! Hoping mine comes out good as well (it’s in the oven as I type)!
I replaced the meat with tempeh. It is no longer budget friendly but it works really well as a vegetarian loaf.
made it last night,yummy! nice change with the sharp cheddar~~~~thanks
This was so good. I made this with ground turkey, and used oatmeal (ground up in the blender) in place of the breadcrumbs, since I only had Italian bread crumbs. Turned out perfect and not dry at all.
This was a huge hit at home. Had it with mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, veggies, etc. Super versatile. I placed it under the broiler for a few minutes when it was done and it came out great. Next time I’ll probably chop the onion in a mini food processor so they’re as small as possible. Will definitely make again!
I doubled the beef, breadcrumbs and spices but left everything else the same. I made into mini meatloaves (I got 6 of them and froze 3 for later). I baked for about 35-40 minutes. I did not freeze the meatloaves with the sauce so when I bake those, I will make a new batch of sauce. I would recommend halving the sauce recipe if you are only baking 3 at a time. Great recipe and it was a nice change to have the cheese in there! I used sharp cheddar.
I thought this was good when I made it last night but then I had it leftover today. Holy moly it’s spectacular! For me the lower fat ground beef is the way to go.
Hello,
Would I be able to cook this meal in an 8 x 4 or 9 x 5 inch bread pan?
Thank you
Yes, but I prefer a dish with more room around it so that the juices can run off.
I liked this a lot but found it quite greasy. Still super tasty, though :)
Tasty, but mine was a little dry.
Just made this. I’ve made meat loaf with cheese before, but this is just excellent! Much more flavorful.
I may try it next time with mixed ground meats, but this is a solid recipe!
Do you think this could assembled the night before, covered and kept in fridge, then popped in the oven for supper? I’d love to make this for a weeknight meal, but a long commute and picking up kids cuts into dinner prep and cook time.
I would think that would work. :)
Thank you Beth for posting this recipe. Meatloaf often gets a bad rap as being “common food”. It is rarely taken seriously in many kitchens. I, on the other hand, love making and serving meatloaf. I especially loved how you paired the meatloaf with green beans and garlic mashed potatoes. Sheer Perfection!!!
Tasted great, but it didn’t stay together as well as the other meatloaf recipe I make. Either way I’ll probably make again!
This meatloaf was really excellent. Great flavor, very moist, and awesome for cold weather. We served it with roasted sweet potatoes.
ummmm, this looks so good. I want to make this, but with some pickle relish mixed in to really drive home the cheeseburger vibe!
Is it possible to add veggies to this to make it slightly healthier? If so, what would you recommend?
In the other meatloaf recipe that I use, I mince in my food processor a few carrots, a few stalks of celery, onion, and garlic. I saute it in a pan with olive oil, cool it, and add it to the meatloaf mix. This will really stretch the amount of meatloaf you have, and make it very nutritious. You could also bloom the spices with the veggies to get a richer flavor.
How long would you recommend cooking if you double the recipe? Thanks!!!
Unfortunately it’s hard to say without testing it. Although you could double it and just make two loaves and then cook them the same amount of time. :)
Do you think this would be possible with a ground turkey? My husband won’t eat red meat but I’m also dying for some meatloaf. Would there be any recommended changes?
I think that could work! I don’t think I would do anything else differently to compensate. :)
I make turkey meatloaf all the time and notice no difference in flavor.
I came here to ask the same (I only eat chicken and turkey), and I am so glad this can work. It looks awesome, and I would have hated to have to skip it because of the beef issue. :)
Just when I thought meatloaf couldn’t get any better… The sharp cheddar compliments the flavor of the meatloaf just perfectly. But now I’m curious about different types of cheese as well! Although I’m not so sure blue cheese would be a good idea… but hey, you never know until you try.
This tasted good, but for some reason mine didn’t loaf properly and fell apart as I cut it up. It was the right internal temp so it wasn’t undercooked, so I’m a little puzzled as to why it happened.
I wonder if it has to do with the texture of the ground beef. I find that some brands are ground more finely than others. The one I used, from Aldi, was ground really finely instead of being in larger crumbles, if that makes sense.
That could be it, this one was a fairly rough ground that comes from our local supermarket. It was also 80/20 because that’s what I had on hand so that might’ve had something to do with it.
This is so similar to the meatloaf I grew up that my dad made, except he rolled the cheese in like a meat pumpkin roll. I always wondered if you could just mix it in. That’s why I never made it. Too much effort. I plan on trying it this week for my parents and see how he likes it with less hassles.
And I will say if it is the same, the stronger flavored the cheese, the more noticable the taste.