Macaroni and Cheese Meatloaf Casserole

 

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 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, this casserole 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

1. 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.
2. Place the crackers into a zip lock baggie and crush until fine with a rolling pin.
3. Whisk the tomato ketchup and BBQ sauce together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Remove half and set aside.
4. Crumble the beef into the bowl. Add the cracker crumbs, onion soup mix 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.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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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