Fran's BbqPotatoCheese Meatloaf

This meatloaf is basically three comfort foods smashed into one pan. A BBQ-flavored ground beef shell wrapped around a hidden core of mashed potatoes and melted cheese. When you slice into it, that cheesy, starchy center oozing out of the smoky meat shell is a genuine surprise.

The meat mixture itself is packed with flavor before it even hits the oven. Mashed baked beans, barbecue sauce, mustard, and ketchup all go into the beef, giving it a tangy, sweet, smoky base that tastes like a backyard cookout. The mashed beans also help bind everything together and keep the loaf moist.

The construction is the fun part. Press the meat mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan like you’re building a bowl, fill the center with mashed potatoes and cheese, then seal it all up with a layer of meat on top. It bakes into a self-contained, stuffed loaf that holds together when sliced.

Pro Tips

• Mash the baked beans thoroughly before mixing into the meat. Whole beans create weak spots in the loaf that can cause it to fall apart when sliced.
• Leave the trough wide enough for a generous amount of potato and cheese filling. Thin walls of meat surrounding a fat center of filling is the goal.
• Cube the cheese rather than shredding if you want distinct pockets of melted cheese. Shredded cheese melts more evenly into the potatoes.
• Let the meatloaf rest 10 minutes before slicing so the cheese sets slightly and doesn’t all run out the moment you cut.

Variations

• Bacon-wrapped: Lay strips of bacon over the top before baking for a smoky, crispy crust.
• Tex-Mex version: Use pepper jack cheese, add diced green chilies to the potato filling, and swap the BBQ sauce for salsa.