TACO MEATLOAF

I will have to double check with my sisters, but I never remember mom cooking with any seasonings other than salt and pepper…she was never an adventurous cook. Her recipe for meatloaf was ground beef, an egg, a squirt of ketchup, some crushed saltines and evaporated milk…I loved it as a kid and I smothered each bite with more ketchup.

This jazzed up meatloaf is a far cry from the meatloaf I grew up with. You can taste each ingredient…the corn chips, the salsa, the cheese and beans. The “heat” of your salsa will determine how spicy the meatloaf is (so it is easy to adjust for younger kids). I like to serve this with rice, refried beans and coleslaw. It makes great meatloaf sandwiches too.
1 pound of LEAN ground beef (less than 10% fat)
½ cup of finely crushed corn chips
1 beaten egg
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ cup of (your favorite) thick & chunky salsa
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup of Mexican blend shredded cheese

TOPPING
1 cup of refried beans
¼ cup of your favorite salsa
1 cup of Mexican blend shredded cheese~

In a bowl, mix the ground beef, corn chips, egg, chili powder, cumin, salsa, black pepper and ½ cup of shredded cheese. Mix thoroughly and form into an oval on the baking sheet like this:

In a small bowl, mix the refried beans with ¼ cup of salsa and frost the top of the meatloaf with it. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes. The last few minutes of baking time, sprinkle the top of the meatloaf with one cup of shredded cheese and return to oven.

To serve, gently slide a thin spatula under the meatloaf to loosen it from the baking pan and lift it (all in one piece) to a nice serving dish.
NOTE: I do not add salt to this recipe because there is plenty of salt in the other ingredients.

NOTE: By baking this on a sheet pan (rather than a loaf pan) the grease will run out onto the pan and not "soak" your meatloaf.