Steal of the Week: Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

This might look like a lot of ingredients...but I promise every single last one of them is worth it! Including the fresh breadcrumbs, which I made from an orphan slice of whet bread. And all of this (except the ground sirloin not pictured) was for another Cooking Light recipe that not only I, but the rest of my family got excited for: Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis. 

All of the ingredients come together VERY easy, and although with traditional meatloaf recipes I am always hesitant to make a "free form" loaf outside of a pan, the six mini-loaves the recipe called for were easy to make and retained their shape beautifully:

My family are HUGE meatloaf fans so the thought of them each getting their own loaf was highly attractive. I also followed the recipe to the letter, even using the ketchup which I am admittedly not the hugest fan of. However it really worked in the recipe, even as the topping the recipe calls for...as the final product clearly shows:

My one learning moment was probably that I didn't dice my cheese small enough, thus the excessive spillage in the pan. However, that also created a lot of cheesy goodness inside the loaf. Both husband and step-daughter had two and served with instant mashed potatoes (hey, Betty Crocker makes some good ones and a mid-week meal is hard enough!) and the ever popular corn, and you have a meal that hopefully brings back good childhood memories. 

I see a lot of potential in "gourmeting" these up a bit for company but in the meantime, we have another recipe tested and approved by my family.