Description
Cowboy meatloaf and potato casserole brings rustic ranch-style comfort to your dinner table with layers of savory ground beef and creamy potatoes. Southwestern spices and melted cheese crown this satisfying one-pan meal you’ll crave after a long day’s work.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 0.5 lbs ground pork
Potato Ingredients:
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Seasoning and Additional Ingredients:
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 0.5 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 0.25 cup milk
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 0.5 cup diced onions
- 0.25 cup chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Topping Ingredients:
- 0.5 cup bbq sauce
- 0.25 cup crispy bacon bits
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish to prepare for the hearty casserole.
- Slice potatoes into thin, uniform rounds, ensuring even cooking and consistent texture throughout the dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef and ground pork, creating a rich and flavorful meat base for the meatloaf.
- Incorporate breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, worcestershire sauce, diced onions, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper into the meat mixture, blending thoroughly to distribute seasonings evenly.
- Arrange a layer of potato slices across the bottom of the prepared baking dish, creating a foundational potato base.
- Carefully spread the seasoned meat mixture over the potato layer, pressing gently to ensure a compact and even distribution.
- Top the meatloaf with remaining potato slices, overlapping slightly to create an attractive and uniform coverage.
- Drizzle olive oil over the potato layer to enhance browning and add a subtle richness to the dish.
- Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese generously across the top of the potato layer, ensuring complete coverage.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked and potatoes are tender.
- Remove from oven and brush BBQ sauce over the top of the casserole during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Garnish with crispy bacon bits immediately after removing from the oven for added crunch and flavor.
- Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and make cutting easier.
Notes
- Opt for lean ground beef and pork to reduce overall fat content while maintaining delicious flavor profile.
- Mix meat cuts like sirloin and chuck for a more complex, richer taste in the meatloaf base.
- Swap regular breadcrumbs with gluten-free alternatives for celiac or gluten-sensitive individuals, ensuring everyone can enjoy this hearty dish.
- Add diced bell peppers or jalapeños to increase vegetable content and provide extra texture and subtle heat to the casserole.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg