Mac And Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
This mac and cheese stuffed meatloaf is the stuff comfort food dreams are made of. Sweet and savory barbecue meatloaf stuffed with rich and creamy macaroni and cheese gets baked under a tangy, sweet sauce. Dinner perfection!
There’s nothing better than some good, old fashioned down home cookin.
And what’s more classic down home comfort food than meatloaf and mac and cheese?
How about mac and cheese stuffed meatloaf?
Take those cheesy, creamy noodles and wedge ’em on in a juicy barbecue meatloaf.
YES please.
This is the ultimate in down home comfort cooking that I am certain you will love!
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
Ground beef – Use a lean package of ground beef. Think 90/10 or leaner so it doesn’t get too greasy and shrink too much when it cooks.
Bread crumbs – Any kind of bread crumbs will work.
Eggs – Both for moisture and to bind it together
Spices – Garlic powder, dried parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
Mac and cheese – A cup of creamy mac and cheese. Leftover mac and cheese or premade mac and cheese works really well in this.
Cheese – Shredded mozzarella
Sliced bread – To add to the bottom of the loaf pan to suck up the grease
Sauce ingredients – Ketchup, brown sugar, yellow mustard, and honey
Once you’ve gathered all of your ingredients, you’re ready to begin!
How to Make
Since you are using premade mac and cheese, mac and cheese stuffed meatloaf is pretty similar to making any other variety of stuffed meatloaf except using the mac.
To make it, mix the beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, onion, garlic powder, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and bbq sauce in a large bowl until everything is combined.
Add two slices of white bread to line the bottom of a loaf pan you’ve sprayed with nonstick spray.
Take half of the meat mixture into your hands and shape it into a loaf.
Put it on top of the bread in the pan, pressing the center down and the sides up against the dish so there is about an inch of meat mixture going up the sides to create a bowl shape in the middle.
In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the mac and mozzarella.
Spread the pasta evenly out into the meatloaf boat.
Top the mac and cheese layer with the remaining meat mixture, spreading until completely covered and using your fingers to pinch close all the way around and seal.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, turn up the oven to 400 degrees.
Then stir all of the ingredients together for the sauce until they are smooth in a small bowl.
Take the meatloaf from the oven and spread the sauce evenly out over the top.
Put it back in the oven and bake the meatloaf for an additional 15 minutes or until the meatloaf is cooked through and the sauce topping is bubbling slightly.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven, and let it rest away from heat for 5-7 minutes.
Use two spatulas to carefully transfer the cooked meatloaf from the pan to a cutting board.
Discard the grease soaked bread.
Slice the meatloaf and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This is a complete meal in one dish so it pairs very well with a side salad or a steamed veggie.
That said if you really want more comfort food, you also can’t go wrong serving it with a side of mashed potatoes and a hunk of corn bread.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat slices in the microwave or pop the entire leftover meatloaf in a hot oven until warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure you are using lean ground beef to cut down on the grease and shrinking.
- The bread slices at the bottom of the pan also help to cut down on the grease. They will soak up anything that drains to the bottom of the meatloaf and keep it from getting soggy. It really doesn’t matter what kind of sliced bread you use.
- You could substitute a different cheese, like cheddar, for the shredded mozzarella but you will loose a little of that cheese pull factor since mozzarella melts so well.
Other Meatloaf Recipes
Mac and cheese stuffed meatloaf is two comfort food favorites mashed into one easy dish.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other meatloaf recipes?
Try these:
- Mississippi Meatloaf
- Grandma’s Classic Meatloaf Recipe
- Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf
- Stovetop Stuffing Mix Meatloaf
- Stuffed Smoked Meatloaf
If you’ve tried this MAC AND CHEESE STUFFED MEATLOAF, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Mac And Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
Ingredients
For The Meatloaf
- 1 1/4 lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 1 small white onion peeled & diced
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup honey barbecue sauce
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup creamy mac and cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
For The Sauce
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
To Make The Meatloaf
- In a large mixing bowl add the beef, bread crumbs, eggs, onion, garlic powder, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and barbecue sauce. Use your hands to work/squish everything together until the mixture's evenly combined.1 1/4 lb lean ground beef, 1 cup bread crumbs, 2 large eggs, 1 small white onion, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 cup honey barbecue sauce, salt & pepper
- Spray a meatloaf pan with non stick cooking spray. Add two slices of white bread to the bottom of your meatloaf pan, to line it & suck up the grease. Take half of the meat mixture into your hands and shape it into a loaf. Place it on top of the bread in the pan, and press the center down and the sides up against the dish (leaving 1" sides all around) to create a bowl shape in the middle.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the mac and mozzarella. Stir together until evenly combined. Spread the pasta evenly out into the depression in the meatloaf boat. Top it with the remaining meat mixture, spreading until completely covered and using your fingers to pinch close all the way around and seal.1 cup creamy mac and cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
To Make The Sauce
- Increase the oven temp to 400 degrees.
- In a small bowl add all of the ingredients and stir together until completely incorporated and smooth. Remove the meatloaf from the oven. Spread the sauce evenly out over the top.1/3 cup ketchup, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp yellow mustard, 1 tbsp honey
- Bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the meatloaf is cooked through and the sauce topping is bubbling slightly.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven, and let it rest away from heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Use two spatulas to carefully transfer the cooked meatloaf from the pan to a cutting board. Discard the grease soaked bread.
- Slice the meatloaf, serve warm, and enjoy!
I’ve never eaten meatloaf with macaroni and cheese in it–sounds brilliant to me! Two of the best comfort foods together! Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
u did not say that i have to cook the mac and cheese first. my dinner got ruined because i am a moron.
Oh no- I am so sorry! I assumed it was a given that it needed to be already prepared mac and cheese. I will make sure to edit the recipe card to make that abundantly clear.