Reviewed: 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....

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37 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Jillian

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 7, 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!!

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32 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Diana71

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Reviewed: 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. :)

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16 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Christina

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 9, 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.

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13 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Faith N

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Smoaks, South Carolina, USA

Living In: Walterboro, South Carolina, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 22, 2012

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

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10 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Michele

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Milton, Massachusetts, USA

Reviewed: 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.

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9 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Paula T

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Tacoma, Washington, USA

Living In: Keller, Texas, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 8, 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.

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8 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

MrsAltmiller

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

Living In: Dixon, California, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 9, 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!

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7 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Julie R

Reviewed: Nov. 13, 2012

I did not have the specific Progresso cooking sauce BUT I did have a different brand's fire roasted spaghetti sauce. I used that instead. I did throw in a little more italian seasoning and onion/garlic powder into the meat loaf mixture for a little more oomph. The family liked it okay but we all thought this could use more cheese in the middle. This was easy and fed the family very well on a fixed food budget.

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5 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Sarah Jo

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Seattle, Washington, USA

Living In: Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 11, 2012

This recipe was a huge hit in our home! My kids loved these mini meat loaves! It was super easy to make and could be done on a busy evening. The Progresso Recipe Starters was a great way to add a lot of flavor in no time at all. This is definitely going in the repeat box!

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5 users found this review helpful