Caramelized onions and chipotle purée add layers of flavor to our twist on this classic.
Spicy Cheesy Meat Loaf with Caramelized Onions
Makes about 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1½ cups chopped yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- ½ pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup cubed Gouda cheese
- ½ cup cubed smoked Cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chipotle Purée (recipe follows)
- 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup shredded Gouda cheese
- ½ cup shredded smoked Cheddar cheese
- Garnish: ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 2 tablespoons water and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk; let stand for 5 minutes. Add caramelized onions, beef, pork, eggs, cubed Gouda, cubed Cheddar, thyme, and remaining 1¾ teaspoons salt, gently stirring until well combined.
- In a small bowl, stir together ketchup, Worcestershire, Chipotle Puree, and brown sugar until smooth. Add half of ketchup mixture to beef mixture, stirring to combine. Gently press beef mixture into a 9x5-inch cast-iron loaf pan.
- Bake until a meat thermometer inserted in center registers 160°, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Carefully tilt pan over a bowl to drain; discard drippings. Top meatloaf with shredded Gouda and shredded Cheddar.
- Bake until cheeses are melted, about 7 minutes more. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with pepper, if desired. Serve with remaining ketchup mixture.
Chipotle Puree
Instructions
- Place 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the container of a blender; blend until smooth. Freeze remaining puree in tablespoon dollops for future use.
