One-A-Piece Meat Loaves
Submitted by masmiles
Individual cheese-stuffed meatloaves made with ground beef and shredded cucumber, cooked in the microwave with melted cheese on top. A unique weeknight dinner in 25 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
10 minREADY
25 minThese personal-sized meatloaves hide a chunk of cheese inside and have shredded cucumber mixed right into the meat. That cucumber isn’t just a novelty. It adds moisture to the ground beef as it cooks, keeping these small loaves juicy instead of dry and dense.
Each loaf gets shaped around a folded cheese slice, then topped with another slice at the end so you get gooey melted cheese both inside and out. The microwave cooks them in about 11 minutes total, making this one of the fastest meatloaf dinners you’ll find.
Seed the cucumber before shredding. The watery seeds release too much liquid into the meat mixture and make it hard to shape.
Kitchen Tips
- Squeeze excess moisture from the shredded cucumber before mixing it in. You want the flavor and texture, not a puddle in the bowl.
- Shape the loaves tightly around the cheese chunk so it doesn’t leak out during cooking.
- Rotate the dish halfway through microwaving for even cooking. Microwaves have hot spots.
- Let them stand for 3 minutes after cooking. The cheese inside needs that time to settle, and the meat finishes cooking from residual heat.
Variations
- Use pepper jack or Swiss cheese instead of processed slices for a more flavorful filling.
- Bake in a conventional oven at 375°F (190°C) for 25 to 30 minutes if you prefer a browned exterior.
- Mix in dried Italian seasoning or Worcestershire sauce for a more savory meat mixture.
Ingredients
Directions
Peel cucumber. Cut cucumber lengthwise in half. Using spoon, scoop out seeds from each cucumber half.
Coarsely shred enough cucumber to make 1 cup.
Slice any remaining cucumber to use as garnish.
In medium-sized bowl, combine shredded cucumber, ground beef, bread crumbs, grated onion, salt, pepper and egg.
Divide meat mixture into 4 portions.
Unwrap 4 cheese slices; fold each into 1½ x ¾ x ½ inch chunk.
Shape each portion of meat around 1 chunk of cheese, making four 4 x 2 inch oval loaves. Arrange loaves in 12×8” baking dish ; cover dish with waxed paper.
Cook at medium high (70% power) for 9 minutes. Remove waxed paper rotating dish a half turn; top each loaf with a slice of cheese.
Cook at medium high 2 minutes longer. Let meat loaves stand 3 minutes.
Remove from baking dish and arrange on warm plate. Garnish with cucumber slices.
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