Update: The Pick a Giveaway Winner plug-in chose MaryG as the winner. MaryG, congratulations! Please email me with your information so the book can be sent right away.
I collect cookbooks. A lot of them. Shelves, boxes, stacks—my kitchen is full of books. Some I thumb through occasionally; others feel like they were written just for me. Cynthia Kallile’s The Meatloaf Bakery Cookbook: Comfort Food with a Twist is one of those special finds. I admit I didn’t expect a meatloaf book to wow me, but from the moment I opened it I was hooked.
The photos alone are tempting: mini meatloaf cupcakes piped with mashed-potato “frosting” and dusted with paprika, meatloaf pot pie, adorable bite-sized meatloaf appetizers topped with little mashed-potato stars, meatloaf wrapped in pastry, and even a baked mac-and-cheese with a crispy crust that I couldn’t resist. The book is creative, playful, and full of ideas that make classic comfort food feel fresh.
What matters most in a cookbook, to me, is how hungry it makes me. Most books yield a few tempting recipes; this one made me want to try everything: Chili Chili Bang Bang (a chili-flavored meatloaf baked with cornbread on top), an Omega-3 Salmon Meatloaf finished with wasabi mashed potatoes, and an Herby Turkey Meatloaf that briefly had me reconsidering my Thanksgiving plan. Deciding where to start was a delicious dilemma.
I eventually chose “No Buns About It Burger Loaf,” essentially a bacon cheeseburger meatloaf with chopped dill pickles mixed in, crowned with creamy cheesy mashed potatoes. I admit I forgot my shopping list and had to improvise: white cheddar for yellow, yogurt for sour cream, and Romano in place of the asiago/parmesan mix. The core ingredient—good ground chuck—was nonnegotiable, so I made do with the substitutions and doubled the recipe right away.
I baked half the batch as mini-loaves in greased muffin tins and the other half in a loaf pan. The kitchen filled with the unmistakable aroma of bacon cheeseburgers while they baked. When the mini-loaves came out I piped the mashed potatoes on top to mimic a frosted burger bun and plated them for dinner.
The family loved them. They vanished in minutes. Later that night I wrapped the leftover loaf and begged my son and husband not to eat it before morning so I could make sandwiches. Two hours later I returned to an empty platter and a sheepish husband who confessed he couldn’t resist. It was that good.
This cookbook has turned me into a meatloaf convert. Friends who flipped through it at my house immediately asked whether I’d give a copy away or if they should buy their own. One friend ran out to purchase her own before the giveaway ended—such is the pull of a book that reimagines a humble dish so well.
Fortunately, the publisher provided a copy for a giveaway, and I’m excited to share it with one of you. Details about the giveaway appear below the recipe.
Bacon Cheeseburger Mini-Meatloaves and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
For the Bacon Cheeseburger Mini-Meatloaves:
- 1/2 pound bacon, cut crosswise into small slices (about 8 ounces)
- 3/4 cup finely diced cooking onions
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
- 1 cup panko or plain white bread crumbs
- 1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar, plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup well-drained finely diced dill pickles, plus extra for garnish
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup milk beaten
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 black pepper
- nonstick cooking spray
For the Cheesy Mashed Potatoes:
- 8 Russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup whole milk warmed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream
- 1 1/3 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
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Cook bacon in a frying pan until crisp. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off all but about 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease, add the onion, and cook until softened. Let cool to room temperature.
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In a mixing bowl, combine the cooled bacon and onion with the ground chuck, bread crumbs, cheeses, diced pickles, egg, milk, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until evenly combined.
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Grease 6 large or 12 standard nonstick muffin cups (or a loaf pan). Form the meat mixture into mounds and shape the tops so they are slightly domed.
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Bake for 25 minutes for standard mini-loaves or up to 40 minutes for large loaves, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 160°F (71°C) and the tops are browned.
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Remove from the oven and cool a couple of minutes before unmolding. Transfer the mini-loaves to a cutting board or flat pan to prepare for the mashed-potato “frosting.”
To Make the Cheesy Mashed Potatoes:
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Place peeled potato chunks in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 10–15 minutes. Drain well.
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Return potatoes to the hot pan. Add warmed milk, softened butter, and yogurt or sour cream. Mash until very smooth. Stir in shredded cheeses until melted and fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For piping, ensure the potatoes are lump-free; for dolloping, a few small lumps are fine.
To Serve:
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Either dollop or spread the mashed potatoes on top of each mini-meatloaf, or pipe them using a large pastry tip and a heatproof bag. Garnish with extra pickle, shredded cheese, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately.
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Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or a 350°F oven.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition based on the actual ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
If you post a photo on Instagram, tag @foodiewithfam and use #foodiewithfamily so I can see your results!
I’ll be working my way through the rest of this cookbook. It surprised me by turning a familiar comfort-food staple into a source of new ideas and kid-pleasing family dinners. If you love meatloaf or want inspiration to reinvent weeknight meals, this book is worth a look—and I can’t wait to share the giveaway winner’s copy with one lucky reader.