GFP Day 43 - New Meatloaf With Loaded Potatoes

I saw somebody make meatloaf on Food Network the other night on "Diners, Drive-ins & Drives", so I wanted meatloaf. I usually do a mix of ground chuck & ground pork or turkey. I add a package of onion soup mix, some Worcestershire, garlic, black pepper, and some Parmesan cheese. Sometimes I'll put a hunk of cheddar cheese in the middle of it. I've never used eggs or breadcrumbs in my meatloaf. But I thought I'd try it this time. My buddy Tony told me about a recipe he saw that used a box of Stovetop stuffing as the breadcrumbs & seasoning. That sounded intriguing, so this is what I came up with. 

First, let's create some freezer space by using a pound of ground beef and a pound of pork sausage. 

I always mix the meatloaf in the kitchen aid, using the paddle. To the beef and sausage, I add the box of stuffing mix, some black pepper, some dehydrated onions, a little seasoned salt, 2 eggs, a little garlic powder, and about a Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. 

Throw in some shredded sharp cheddar and mix it up. 

I divided the meatloaf into 2 small loaf pans. I just eyeballed it between the 2 pans. Jo told me to weigh the 2 pans to see how close I was to having them even. One weighed 1-pound 6.8 ounces, the other 1-pound 6.6 ounces... A difference of 2/10ths of an ounce. I moved a pea-sized piece of meatloaf to the lighter pan, and they were even. The loaves go into the 350 oven for about an hour. 

I peeled and diced up some potatoes for some loaded mashed potatoes. 

Cooked the tators, drained, and mashed, using the hand mixer. I added about 3 TBSP butter before mixing. I would usually add a little milk, but didn't because I'm adding about half a cup of sour cream. I also salted & peppered the potatoes, and added chopped-up bacon bits and green onions. Added some finely shredded co-jack cheese, too. 

Put it in a sprayed casserole dish, top with a little more cheese, and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. 

Meatloaf is done, so I pop it out of the loaf pan and onto a plate for easy slicing. 

Loaded mashed potatoes are done. I top them with a few more chopped green onions. 

Meatloaf and loaded mashed potatoes. The stuffing mix idea was a great one, and we loved the taste. The loaf was very moist. Potatoes were awesome, too. And plenty of leftovers for lunch later in the week. Plus, we've got a whole meatloaf to put in the freezer for a later meal. So much for creating freezer space!