If your family are fans of meatloaf and of macaroni and cheese, then they are going to absolutely fall in love with this fabulously tasty casserole recipe. Macaroni and Cheese Meatloaf Casserole combines these two loves in the most delicious way!
First of all you have a wonderfully moist and tasty meatloaf base, glazed with a BBQ glaze. This gets baked and then topped off with a lush macaroni and cheese. The two then get baked together until all of those wonderful flavors meld together beautifully!
I adapted the recipe from one I found on a blog called Full Bellies Happy Kids. She in turn had adapted it from a page called This is Not Diet Food. How can you not love blogs with names like that!
I took the liberty of cutting the recipe in half. The original baked in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. My version cooks in a 9 inch square dish.
Make sure your dish is not too shallow as the macaroni and cheese could bubble over if it is. Mine was right on the verge of doing so, but didn't, thank goodness. I hate oven messes. If you don't have a deep dish, then place your casserole dish on a baking tray, just in case.
The meatloaf base for this is very similar to the meatloaf from the package of onion soup mix. If you would rather use your own recipe, then by all means do so. Make sure it is a recipe that uses one pound of ground beef.
I always buy my ground beef at the local farmers market. It is excellent. Locally raised grass fed beef. I pay a little bit more but you cannot put a price on good providence. I know the meat is good and that it hasn't come from a bazillion cows all ground up together. 'Nuff said.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MACARONI AND CHEESE MEATLOAF CASSEROLE
Simple ordinary every day ingredients. I don't think there is anything outrageously outlandish or difficult to procure in this.
For the meat layer:
1/2 cup (125g) tomato ketchup
1/2 cup (125g) BBQ sauce
1 pound (453g) lean ground beef
15 Ritz style crackers
1 ounce dry onion soup mix (1/2 packet)
1 large free range egg
For the macaroni cheese layer:
1 1/2 cups (175g) dry macaroni noodles
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
1/2 can condensed cheddar cheese soup (see note)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 TBS garlic powder (not salt)
1/2 TBS onion powder (not salt)
2 cups (240g) mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend, divided
I've already told you where I get my beef. If you are not fond of beef, then you can use ground turkey, or you can use a mix of beef and pork. Or one pound of your favorite meat loaf mixture.
You can use any short buttery type of cracker. TUC would be good as well. I would not use flavored crackers.
I know that onion soup mix can sometimes be difficult to find in the UK. I used to buy mine on Amazon. Alternately you can use a finely chopped onion, or some dried onion flakes, and a couple of beef stock cubes, crumbled to a powder. (I would use about 3 TBS of the onion flakes and 2 stock cubes.)
I also appreciate that condensed cheddar cheese soup is not easy to find in the UK, so I have provided a very acceptable alternative in the recipe notes.
I used a ready grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend. Also make sure you use the onion and garlic powders and not salt. If you use the salts, the dish will be far too salty. If you only have the salts, then don't add any additional salt and use only half the amount.
HOW TO MAKE MACARONI AND CHEESE MEATLOAF CASSEROLE
It might seem like a long recipe, but it really goes together very simply and quickly. Its not complicated at all. You are in for a real treat!
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square baking dish. Set aside. Put a saucepan of lightly salted water on to boil.
Place the crackers into a zip lock baggie and crush until fine with a rolling pin.
Whisk the tomato ketchup and BBQ sauce together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Remove half and set aside.
Crumble the beef into the bowl. Add the cracker crumbs, onion soup mix, half of the sauce mixture and egg. Mix together gently with a fork until well combined. Dump into your prepared baking dish and pat out evenly. Spread the reserved ketchup/BBQ sauce mixture evenly over top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
While the meatloaf base is baking, make your macaroni and cheese. Cook the macaroni noodles in the boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain well and rinse with cold water. Drain again.
Whisk the cheddar cheese soup and milk together in a large bowl. Whisk in the salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Make sure everything is well combined. Fold in the cooked macaroni and half of the cheese.
After the half hour cook time for the meatloaf has finished, remove it from the oven. Pour the macaroni mixture over top, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining Cheese over top.
Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling around the edges.
Leave to sit and settle for about 5 minutes before serving. Delicious!
Notes
If you cannot get the cheddar cheese soup, you can make a simple cheese sauce. Melt 2 TBS of butter in a saucepan. Whisk in 2 TBS of plain flour. Cook for a minute, then slowly whisk in 2 cups (480ml) of milk. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
Whisk in 1/4 of the cheese, stirring to melt the cheese. Whisk in the seasonings. Leave to cool and then fold in the macaroni, and 1/4 more of the cheese. Pour on top of the meatloaf, cover with the remaining cheese and bake as above.
Alternately you can use half a tin of condensed mushroom soup, undiluted, in the place of the cheddar cheese soup and put together as per the recipe.
This really was delicious. It was far too much for just myself (at half the recipe) so I took 3/4 of it over to my sister so that she didn't have to cook supper for them tonight. They just loved it!
My sister works so hard to make a delicious meal for my father and Dan every day, I thought it would be a real treat for her not to have to cook for a change!
If you are a single person on your own, you could break this down into four single serve casserole dishes and bake as above. The bake times would be cut in about half. Wrap the extras up tightly and freeze for another time.
Thaw out overnight in the refrigerator when you are ready to eat. To reheat I would cover the top with foil and then bake for about 20 minutes at 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4 until heated through.
If your family loves ground beef casseroles, they might also enjoy one of these:
COWBOY CASSEROLE - A base of ground beef and baked beans with the addition of BBQ flavors. This is topped with a drop biscuit and cheese topping. A real family favorite. All you need on the side is a salad and or a vegetable of some sort.
HAMBURGER AND POTATO CASSEROLE - This tasty casserole is very different from the traditional Cottage Pie. Amazingly delicious, thiscasserole is made by layering potatoes, tinned soup and cheese in a dish along with cooked ground beef. Simple ingredients that taste delicious when put together. Everyone always loves this.
Yield: 4
Author: Marie Rayner
Macaroni and Cheese Meatloaf Casserole
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M
This delicious casserole is a perfect comfort food family pleaser. I cut the recipe in half from the original, and it was still a very generous casserole. Incredibly tasty!
Ingredients
For the meat layer:
1/2 cup (125g) tomato ketchup
1/2 cup (125g) BBQ sauce
1 pound (453g) lean ground beef
15 Ritz style crackers
1 ounce dry onion soup mix (1/2 packet)
1 large free range egg
For the macaroni cheese layer:
1 1/2 cups (175g) dry macaroni noodles
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
1/2 can condensed cheddar cheese soup (see note)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 TBS garlic powder (not salt)
1/2 TBS onion powder (not salt)
2 cups (240g) mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend, divided
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch square baking dish. Set aside. Put a saucepan of lightly salted water on to boil.
Place the crackers into a zip lock baggie and crush until fine with a rolling pin.
Whisk the tomato ketchup and BBQ sauce together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Remove half and set aside.
Crumble the beef into the bowl. Add the cracker crumbs, onion soup mix, half of the sauce mixture and the egg. Mix together gently with a fork until well combined. Dump into your prepared baking dish and pat out evenly. Spread the reserved ketchup/BBQ sauce mixture evenly over top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
While the meatloaf base is baking, make your macaroni and cheese. Cook the macaroni noodles in the boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain well and rinse with cold water. Drain again.
Whisk the cheddar cheese soup and milk together in a large bowl. Whisk in the salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Make sure everything is well combined.Fold in the cooked macaroni and half of the cheese.
After the half hour cook time for the meatloaf has finished, remove it from the oven. Pour the macaroni mixture over top, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining Cheese over top.
Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling around the edges.
Leave to sit and settle for about 5 minutes before serving. Delicious!
Notes
If you cannot get the cheddar cheese soup, you can make a simple cheese sauce. Melt 2 TBS of butter in a saucepan. Whisk in 2 TBS of plain flour. Cook for a minute, then slowly whisk in 2 cups (480ml) of milk. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Whisk in 1/4 of the cheese, stirring to melt the cheese. Whisk in the seasonings. Leave to cool and then fold in the macaroni, and 1/4 more of the cheese. Pour on top of the meatloaf, cover with the remaining cheese and bake as above.
Alternately you can use half a tin of condensed mushroom soup, undiluted, in the place of the cheddar cheese soup and put together as per the recipe.
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I am so pleased that you both enjoyed this! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and share your experience with this recipe! I really appreciate it! xo
This sounds so delicious...looking forward to trying it this weekend. I have one question...the ketchup/BBQ mixture...the recipe calls for 1/2 on top of the meatloaf...where is the other 1/2 used? Am I missing it? THANK you!
Oh, I am so sorry. Yes, half of it gets mixed into the meat with the crumbs, etc. and the other half is spread on top. Sorry for my omission! I have fixed it now! Thank you so much for noticing! Much appreciated! xo
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If you are a Baking Enthusiast and a fan of British Baking you are going to love this new book I wrote. From fluffy Victoria sponges to sausage rolls, the flavors of British baking are some of the most famous in the world. Learn how to create classic British treats at home with the fresh, from-scratch, delicious recipes in The Best of British Baking. Its all here in this delicious book! To find out more just click on the photo of the book above!
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This is a book I wrote several years ago, published by Passageway Press. I am incredibly proud of this accomplishment. It is now out of print, but you can still find used copies for sale here and there. If you have a copy of it, hang onto it because they are very rare.
Welcome, I'm Marie
Canadian lover of all things British. I cook every day and like to share it with you!
A third of my life was spent living in the UK. I learned to love the people, the country and the cuisine. I have always been an Anglophile. You will find plenty of traditional British recipes here in my English Kitchen. There are lots of North American recipes also, but then again, I am a Canadian by birth. I like to think of my page as a happy mix of both. If you are looking for something and cannot find it, don't be afraid to ask! I am always happy to help and point you in the right direction, even if it exists on another page, or in one of my many cookbooks.
Genius! It looks so delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks very much! It really is delicious! xo
DeleteMade this for supper tonight, was loved by me and my son. Comfort food!
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased that you both enjoyed this! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and share your experience with this recipe! I really appreciate it! xo
DeleteIf it is doubled, do you think the cook time would change? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYes. I would add 10 to 15 minutes to the cook time! ~Marie
DeleteThis sounds so delicious...looking forward to trying it this weekend. I have one question...the ketchup/BBQ mixture...the recipe calls for 1/2 on top of the meatloaf...where is the other 1/2 used? Am I missing it? THANK you!
ReplyDeleteOh, I am so sorry. Yes, half of it gets mixed into the meat with the crumbs, etc. and the other half is spread on top. Sorry for my omission! I have fixed it now! Thank you so much for noticing! Much appreciated! xo
Delete