Two if my favorite things in one cute muffin! Meatloaf AND mac and cheese! Meatloaf is one of my favorite comfort foods, and you can really get creative with the flavors and proteins you use. I’ve got a couple similar recipes posted, but this one might be the best of both worlds. It has the quick cooking time of meatloaf muffins vs. an entire meatloaf, and they’re packed with creamy, smoky, cheesy mac and cheese!

I have my classic meatloaf muffin recipe that is the same as this, only I added a 1/2 pound of Italian sausage which gives it such great flavor! The mac and cheese is super simple to make, and doesn’t require a roux. I love to serve these with a side of veggies, the remaining mac and cheese, and my favorite BBQ dipping sauce!

Smoked Cheddar Mac and Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

Servings 4

Author Laura Doerr

Ingredients

For the meatloaf

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage
1 cup stuffing mix such as Stove Top
1 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

For the mac and cheese

8 oz small shell pasta
3/4 cup milk
8 oz Velveeta cheese cubed
4 oz smoked cheddar cheese shredded, divided
1 tsp garlic powder
black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup non-stick or silicone muffin pan.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions to "al dente". Drain, return to stove top.
Over low heat, add milk and Velveeta to pasta; stir in a small amount at a time of the smoked cheddar (3 oz. total, save 1 oz. for topping). Stir frequently until all cheese is melted. Will thicken as it sits.
In a medium bowl, gently mix all of the meatloaf ingredients together. Do not over-work the meat or it will become tough when cooked. Divide the meat mixture evenly into the muffin pan. Press down and around the sides to create a bowl shape for each one.
Scoop a heaping tbsp. of the mac and cheese into each muffin cup. Sprinkle each with remaining shredded smoked cheddar. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until meat is fully cooked. Serve with remaining mac and cheese, and your favorite BBQ sauce for dipping.