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.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
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!
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!