The whole point of a casserole is that it’s a whole meal in one, right? One casserole, where everything bakes together in under an hour, and then that’s it, you’re done! While we love a traditional meatloaf, we thought we would cut a few corners and make a very classic meal but in an untraditional way. Cheesy mashed potato and meatloaf casserole!
Just as you would make your standard meatloaf or meatballs, you’ll mix together a ground beef, onion, breadcrumb mixture with egg, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce – all the classic meatloaf flavors – and then you’ll get leftover (or store-bought, if you’re in a pinch) mashed potatoes that get spread on the beef mixture. Top it off with cheese and pop it in the oven and you’ve got a full meal that’ll have your family raving and asking for more…at least that’s how it was with our family….
This dish tastes incredible, but maybe the thing we love most about it is that there’s no having to deal with inverting a meatloaf out of a piping hot loaf pan. We don’t know how we manage to forget this every time, but heed our advice: forget the loaf pan when you do make a traditional meatloaf – even better, skip it entirely and make this loaded meatloaf casserole instead – you won’t regret it!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups leftover (garlic) mashed potatoes
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup bacon (cooked and crumbled) or bacon bits
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
PREPARATION:
- Preheat oven to 400º F.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, garlic and Worcestershire sauce using two forks or your hands.
- Season generously with salt and pepper, then work in breadcrumbs and egg.
- Transfer ground beef to an 8-inch square baking dish and press it into an even layer.
- Spread mashed potatoes on top of ground beef mixture, then top with cheddar cheese and bacon bits.
- Cover baking dish with aluminum foil, then place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove aluminum foil and bake for another 10-15, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Enjoy !