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READY IN 30 mins

Cheese-Stuffed Mini Meat Loaves

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"In this variation on a family favorite, mini meat loaves baked in muffin cups are stuffed with pieces of mozzarella cheese and served with tangy fire-roasted tomato sauce." — Progresso™ Recipe Starters™

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Original recipe makes 6 servings Change Servings

1/2 cup Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs
1 (18 ounce) can Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ fire roasted tomato cooking sauce
2 (1 ounce) sticks string cheese*

1 pound extra lean (at least 93%) ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup sliced green onions

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Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, stir bread crumbs and 1 cup of the cooking sauce until well mixed; let stand 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut twelve 1/2-inch pieces from cheese sticks (store remaining portion of cheese stick for another use). Set aside. Add beef, egg, green onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to bread crumb mixture until well mixed.
Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. Divide beef mixture evenly among cups (cups will be very full). Push 1 piece of cheese into center of each loaf. Place muffin pan on cookie sheet to catch any spillover. Bake about 30 minutes or until thermometer inserted in center of loaves in middle of muffin pan reads 160 degrees F (outer loaves will be done sooner).
Meanwhile, heat remaining sauce until hot. Immediately remove loaves from muffin pan; spoon heated sauce over loaves.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 10 mins
READY IN 30 mins

Footnotes

*Regular mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, can be substituted.

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Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Sep 07, 2012

Actually thought this was pretty darn good. I doubled the recipe so I could freeze some of the meatloaf, and instead of muffin tins I did two things: made 3 mini loaves of meatloaf to freeze, and made some sliders for my son and me to eat tonight. I loved the flavor that the roasted tomato cooking sauce gave the meatloaf. I have always used ketchup when mixing meatloaf, so I was really pleased to see this variation. I used white onion vice green onion. And, both with the mini meat loaves and the sliders, I put string cheese in the middle - fantastic surprise! Lastly, I added some additional seasoning to the mix, and instead of mixing the panko crumbs and sauce separately, I just mixed it all together in the same mixing bowl. Pretty awesome!!

—This Colorado Trio

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Sep 11, 2012

Meatloaf is a classic dish that's perfect for a hearty weeknight meal. And, while this was a very simple version which saves on time and effort in the kitchen due to the pre-made sauce it definitely falls short of expectations in taste. I followed the recipe exactly, but found the meat mixture to be way too soft to form. I ended up adding additional panko bread crumbs along with some garlic, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese. I formed these into four mini meat loaves vs. trying to stuff into muffin pans which worked out better for me. Due to the size I baked this at 400 for 30-35 minutes in a glass baking dish. I topped with the sauce vs. adding later. I also spinkled with some additional grated Parmesan cheese over top and served it with garlic mashed potatoes and peas. Overall, not bad for an Italian-style version of meatloaf but without some tweaking I don't think I would make this again....

—Jillian

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44 Ratings

Sep 10, 2012

I originally rated these a 3, but after tasting them again, I had to change it to a 2 and change my review...These were ok, but most likely not something I would make again... I also felt that they could use more seasoning, as another reviewer suggested. I used regular onion b/c that's what I had...these smelled wonderful while baking, but just fell short in the flavor/overall taste department, and I felt that all I could taste was the seasonings in the sauce, which I'm not crazy about. They were very moist, so I will say that! I actually liked these better before adding the extra sauce over top. Unfortunately, I think I'm just not a fan of the sauce, period...Sorry, but Thanks for sharing. :)

—Christina

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Sep 09, 2012

First off, I must say it could have used a lot more seasoning (we added some more salt, pepper and garlic after first tasting it which greatly improved the overall dish.) My two boys scarfed theirs down (always a good sign.) Might try another cheese next time (this one ended up too hard for my liking) but overall, not too bad.

—Faith N

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Sep 30, 2012

I made these three more times after the first time! YUM

—Michele

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Sep 21, 2012

I made these little meatloves and served them over pasta since I had no potatoes tonight. I did add more salt & pepper, as well as some basil & oregano. They were good-I added some crushed tomatoes to the remaining can of recipe starter, seasoned it up a bit and served the sauce over the pasta too. The sauce was mild right out of the can-a little too mundane for our tastes-additional seasoning was needed.

—Paula T

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Sep 08, 2012

Let me start by saying this: my picky 7 year old loved this recipe! She got a kick out of the individual sized loaves and loved the cheese in the middle. My husband and I also liked the recipe but thought it was too bland. Next time I make this (and there will be a next time...I promised my daughter) I'll add more seasoning to the meat and will experiment with different types of cheese to see which flavor works best.

—MrsAltmiller

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Sep 09, 2012

However, I was unable to find a few of the ingredients, as I think they may be new to our area, but I was able to improvise. I used just the regular Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs instead of the Crispy Panko style and also substituted Ketchup for the Progresso Recipe Starters Tomato Cooking sauce. (for the ketchup, I mixed approximately 1/2 of a cup in the meat and just topped each loaf with ketchup when I served it. The family still loved it and requested an encore presentation!

—Julie R

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Nutrition

Calories
322 kcal
16%

Carbohydrates
17.5 g
6%

Cholesterol
102 mg
34%

Fat
17.5 g
27%

Fiber
0.8 g
3%

Protein
22.8 g
46%

Sodium
644 mg
26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Cheese-Stuffed Mini Meat Loaves

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 322
Calories from Fat: 157

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17.5g 27 %
Saturated Fat 5.2g 26 %
Cholesterol 102mg 34 %
Sodium 644mg 26 %
** Potassium 253mg 7 %
Total Carbohydrates 17.5g 6 %
Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3 %
Protein 22.8g 46 %
** Sugars 0.2g
** Vitamin A 2 %
** Vitamin C 1 %
** Calcium 8 %
** Iron 19 %
** Thiamin 5 %
** Niacin 29 %
** Vitamin B6 13 %
** Magnesium 6 %
** Folate 7 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.