Cheeseburger Meatloaf puts the flavors of a cheeseburger into a slice: 1 pound of ground beef with sharp cheddar chopped into small pieces and mixed through the meat, under a glaze of ketchup, brown sugar, yellow mustard and Worcestershire sauce. It bakes free-form at 350°F, needs no loaf pan, and serves 4.
How to make it: Stir the breadcrumbs with smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt. Mix them into the beef with an egg, minced onion and the chopped cheddar, shape a loaf about 7 by 4 inches, spread the glaze over the top and bake 50 to 55 minutes, until the center reads 160°F. Let it sit 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Why You’ll Love It
- Melty cheddar in every slice: the cheese is chopped, not shredded, so it bakes into little pockets all through the loaf.
- Burger condiments on top: ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire, with a spoonful of brown sugar, make a glossy glaze.
- A small loaf: one pound of beef makes eight slices, two per person.
- Pantry spices: smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt season the breadcrumbs.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: 1 pound of an 85/15 blend. Leaner beef, such as 90% lean, works too.
Sharp cheddar: 4 ounces, roughly chopped into pieces about the size of a small bean. Chopped cheese stays in melty nuggets instead of disappearing into the meat. Colby jack, pepper jack, Swiss or American cheese can take its place.
Breadcrumbs and spices: 1/4 cup of plain breadcrumbs, stirred with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt so the seasoning spreads evenly through the loaf. Panko works the same way.
Egg and onion: 1 large egg, lightly whisked, holds the loaf together. Mince 1/2 cup of onion finely so there are no big chunks.
Glaze: 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, spread on before the loaf goes in the oven.
Ingredients
For the meatloaf
- 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, lightly whisked
- 1/2 cup onion, finely minced
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, roughly chopped into pieces about the size of a small bean
- 1 pound ground beef (85/15 blend)
For the glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
How to Make Cheeseburger Meatloaf
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Season the breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt. In a separate small bowl, lightly whisk the egg.
3. Prep the onion and cheese. Finely mince the onion. Roughly chop the cheddar into pieces about the size of a small bean.
4. Mix the loaf. Put the ground beef, seasoned breadcrumbs, whisked egg, minced onion and chopped cheddar in a large bowl. Mix with your hands just until everything is combined; don’t overmix.
5. Shape the loaf. Set the meat mixture in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet and shape it into a rectangle about 7 inches long, 4 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick.
6. Glaze the top. Stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Spread the glaze over the unbaked meatloaf.
7. Bake to 160°F. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, until the center reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.
8. Rest and slice. Let the meatloaf sit 5 to 10 minutes, then slice it into eight pieces. Two slices make one serving.
Where Does the Cheese Go?
There are two places to put cheese in a cheeseburger meatloaf, and you can use both.
Inside the meat. This is where the cheeseburger taste comes from. Chop the cheddar into small pieces, from bean-size up to 1/2-inch cubes, and mix it through the beef. Every slice gets a few soft, melted pockets. You can also mix in 1 cup of shredded cheddar if you want the cheese spread through the loaf rather than in pieces.
On top. For the look of a cheeseburger, lay 3 slices of American cheese over the glazed loaf. It’s a finishing touch, not a replacement for the cheese inside.
How to Get the Cheeseburger Flavor
Cheese alone makes a cheesy meatloaf. The burger part comes from the condiments. Ketchup, yellow mustard and Worcestershire sauce are the three that show up on a burger, and here they go into the glaze with a little brown sugar so it turns glossy in the oven.
Finish each slice the way you’d dress a burger: diced dill pickles, sliced green onions, crumbled cooked bacon, a pinch of sesame seeds or minced parsley. Leftover slices can go between a bun too, hot or cold.
Tips for Cheeseburger Meatloaf
- Mix gently. Stop as soon as everything is incorporated. Overmixing packs the meat and makes the loaf dense.
- Keep the cheese pieces small. Bean-size pieces melt into pockets without making the loaf fall apart when you slice it.
- Shape it free-form. A rectangle about 1.5 inches thick on a rimmed sheet cooks evenly and gives the glaze more room than a loaf pan.
- Glaze timing is flexible. The glaze goes on before baking here. You can also bake the loaf plain and brush the glaze on for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
- Trust the thermometer. Don’t go by time or color. The center should read 160°F.
- Let it rest. Give it 5 to 10 minutes so the slices hold together.
Variations
- Bacon cheeseburger meatloaf: mix 1/2 cup of cooked, crumbled bacon into the meat, or lay raw bacon slices over the loaf with the ends tucked underneath.
- Individual loaves: shape the mixture into 4 small loaves on a foil-lined sheet pan and put a tablespoon of ketchup on each. They bake at 350°F in about 20 to 25 minutes; check for 160°F.
- Other cheeses: Colby jack, pepper jack, Swiss or American instead of cheddar.
- Cooked onion: soften the onion in 2 teaspoons of olive oil for 4 to 5 minutes until golden, let it cool, then mix it in.
- Steak sauce: use steak sauce in place of Worcestershire in the glaze.
- Different seasoning: swap the smoked paprika for onion powder or seasoning salt.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. Cut a large piece into smaller portions so it cools quickly. It keeps 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze leftovers for 3 to 4 months; longer than that they can lose moisture and flavor. Thaw in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, never on the counter. You can also reheat slices straight from frozen; it just takes longer.
Reheating: Reheat covered, in the oven or microwave, until it reaches 165°F. In the microwave, rotate the plate and check the temperature in several places. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Meatloaf wants potatoes. Try garlic Parmesan mashed potato cups, or keep the burger theme going with baked garlic Parmesan potato wedges in place of fries. Add a vegetable like smothered green beans or a warm easy creamy corn casserole.
For a plain loaf with no cheese, see Old fashioned Momma’s Meatloaf. For another cheeseburger dinner, try cheeseburger pie.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cheese for cheeseburger meatloaf?
Sharp cheddar, chopped into small pieces, gives the most cheeseburger flavor. Colby jack, pepper jack, Swiss and American cheese also work.
Should the cheese go inside or on top of the meatloaf?
Inside is what makes it a cheeseburger meatloaf: chopped cheddar mixed through the beef melts into pockets. Slices of American cheese on top are an optional extra.
What temperature should cheeseburger meatloaf reach?
Ground beef is done at 160°F on a food thermometer in the center of the loaf. Here that takes 50 to 55 minutes at 350°F.
How long should meatloaf rest before slicing?
Let it sit 5 to 10 minutes so the slices hold together.
Can I add bacon?
Yes. Mix 1/2 cup of cooked, crumbled bacon into the meat, or lay raw slices over the top and tuck the ends under the loaf.
Final Notes
Chop the cheese small, mix the meat gently and bake to 160°F, and you’ll have a meatloaf that tastes like a cheeseburger in every slice. If you try the bacon version, tell me in the comments how it went.
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg lightly whisked
- 1/2 cup onion finely minced
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese roughly chopped into pieces about the size of a small bean
- 1 pound ground beef 85/15 blend
- 1/2 cup ketchup for the glaze
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar for the glaze
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard for the glaze
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce for the glaze
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- 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 into pieces about the size of a small bean.
- Put the ground beef, seasoned breadcrumbs, whisked egg, minced onion and chopped cheddar in a large bowl. Mix with your hands just until everything is combined; don't overmix.
- Set the meat mixture in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet and shape it into a rectangle about 7 inches long, 4 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick.
- Stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Spread the glaze over the unbaked meatloaf.
- Bake 50 to 55 minutes, until the center reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.
- Let the meatloaf sit 5 to 10 minutes, then slice it into eight pieces. Two slices make one serving.
