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thick cooked beef meatloaf slices with tiny isolated quarter-inch melted cheddar pockets and finely chopped green dill pickle bits dispersed through the meat under a thin yellow mustard top on a plain plate, with no whole pickle rounds, continuous cheese seams, buns, bacon or side dishes
Andre Lewis

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Small cheddar cubes make pockets through this loaf, while chopped dill pickle brings the sharpness you'd normally get from a burger topping. Pat the pickles dry before mixing. Their flavor is welcome; their brine can make the interior loose. Potato bread crumbs keep the beef soft, and a mustard top avoids adding another ketchup loaf to the dinner rotation. Use a lined loaf pan to support the cheese-studded mixture, then let it rest long enough that the pockets aren't molten when you slice.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs 85% lean ground beef
  • 1 cup fine fresh potato bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 oz sharp cheddar cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles patted dry
  • 1/3 cup finely minced onion
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp pickle brine
  • 1 tsp neutral oil for pan

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Oil a 9-by-5-inch metal loaf pan and line with a parchment sling. Soak potato bread crumbs in milk for 5 minutes.
  2. Stir eggs, pickles, onion, Worcestershire, salt and pepper into the crumbs. Fold in beef and cheddar cubes just until distributed.
  3. Transfer to the loaf pan and level gently. Bake for 40 minutes.
  4. Mix mustard and pickle brine and brush over the top. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes more until the meat in the center reaches 160°F, checking away from a cheese pocket.
  5. Rest in the pan for 15 minutes. Lift with the parchment sling and allow excess juices to drain.
  6. Cut into 8 slices with a sharp knife, supporting the cheese-filled slices with a spatula.