Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Meatloaf

recipe-entreeI made my first ever real meatloaf this past week. I don’t know why it’s taken so many years of my life before deciding to give it a try. I’ve made mini meatloaves in muffin tins, but never a full size version. For this dish, I used my trusty slow cooker and the results were fantastic. This makes a large meatloaf, enough to serve 6-8 people, depending on how much they like meatloaf. It is easily halved if you have a smaller group to feed or don’t like leftovers. Hmmm, toasted meatloaf sandwich, anyone?

 

Meatloaf Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef

¾ – 1 cup tomato sauce

2 eggs, beaten

2 T Worcestershire

¾ cup grated cheddar cheese

¼ cup golden flax meal (ground oatmeal or bread crumbs would also work)

1 t salt

½ t onion powder

½ t garlic powder

½ t smoked paprika

½ t pepper

Topping Ingredients:

½ cup tomato sauce

1 t cider vinegar

1 t sugar

¼ t salt

¼ t onion powder

¼ t garlic powder

 

Directions:

Spray the bottom of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine all meatloaf ingredients and mix well. You may mix with your hands or use an electric mixer, mixing just until combined.

Dump meat mixture into slow cooker and pat down to even thickness, leaving a little space between the sides of the slow cooker and the meatloaf. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, mix together topping ingredients and pour on top of meatloaf, spreading to cover the entire top of the loaf. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes with the topping before serving.

Source: Tricia Swann