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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes |
Ready In: 75 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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I was in the mood for meatloaf and didn't have the usual ingredients. I also had a hankering for Mexican food so I gave myself the best of both worlds. Since I didn't have any bread or bread crumbs, I decided to use tortilla chips and for grins added a 1/2 container of leftover prepared polenta along with the Mexican spices. I used the San Gennaro brand of pre-cooked polenta. It came out beautifully and was a perfect meal on a cold winter evening. I believe that next time, I will layer the polenta with the cheese in the center rather than mix it in with the meat and see what that is like. Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef |
1 medium onion, finely diced |
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced |
1 egg |
1 cup crushed tortilla chips |
1 cup prepared polenta, diced & crumbled into 1/4-inch pieces |
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes |
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder |
1 teaspoon cumin |
1 teaspoon basil |
1 teaspoon oregano |
1 teaspoon garlic powder (not salt) |
1/2 teaspoon salt |
1/2 teaspoon pepper |
1 teaspoon brown sugar |
3 tablespoons tomato paste |
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce |
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can ro-tel tomatoes or 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can picante sauce |
8 ounces shredded four cheese mexican blend cheese |
sliced jalapeno (optional) |
Directions:
1. In large bowl, thoroughly mix together the hamburger, onions, pepper, tortilla chips, polenta and egg.
2. In a separate bowl combine 1/2 can Ro-Tel, 1/2 can tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion flakes, chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and brown sugar.
3. Add the seasoned sauce to the hamburger mix and combine well.
4. Place 1/2 of the meat mixture into an oven proof baking pan (I use a muffin tin)
5. Make a layer of cheese over the meat stopping 1/2 inch away from the outer edge.
6. Place the remaining hamburger mix over the cheese, pressing lightly around the edges to keep the cheese from dripping out.
7. Mix together the remaining Ro-Tel and tomato sauce and spread evenly over the top of the meatloaf.
8. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
9. Remove from oven and place a layer of cheese over the top and dot with jalepeno slices if desired.
10. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
11. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.
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