Quick And Easy Cooking

This is a quick and easy recipe that I found in the Fall 2008 issue of KRAFT FOOD & FAMILY MAGAZINE.  There are three variations to the recipe, but I’m sure you could come up with many more.

I have always used onion soup mix and oatmeal or bread crumbs to make my meatloaf.  I never thought about using Stove Top Stuffing Mix until I found this recipe.  The recipe does not tell you which flavor of Stove Top to use.  I have tried all of them.  We did not like the herb and seasonings at all.  We also did not care for the sausage or the turkey.  Our favorite has been the chicken flavor.  My husband thought it was a strange combination when I told him that I used the chicken flavor, but the other varieties just didn’t taste right to us.  You may feel differently.

The recipe suggests that you put the meat mixture in muffin cups. Why?  Well, it cuts the cooking time in half.  It only takes 30 minutes to bake this meatloaf.  You can still fix it in a traditional loaf pan, but remember to increase your cooking time.

Here is my favorite meatloaf recipe!

Ingredients:

1 lb extra lean ground beef

1 pkg (6 oz.) Stove Top Stuffing Mix

1 cup water

3/4 cup Kraft shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and add-in (see options below).

Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray.

Make an indentation in center of each meatloaf with spoon; fill with sauce (see options below).

Bake 30 minutes or until cooked through (160 F).  Top with cheese; continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Options:

American-Style 

Add-in 1 t. garlic powder

Sauce: Kraft or Bull’s-Eye Original BBQ Sauce

Italian-Style

Add-in 1 t. Italian seasoning

Sauce: spaghetti sauce

Mexican Style

Add-in  2 t. chili powder

Sauce: Taco Bell Home Originals Thick N Chunky Sauce