Get the Recipe: Meatloaf Casserole
This meatloaf casserole is the love-child of a meatloaf and Shepherd's Pie. All the best parts of a comforting meatloaf dinner, in one casserole dish!
Ingredients
Meatloaf Layer:
- 2 lbs lean or extra lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup soda crackers, crushed (Saltines or similar crackers)
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
Tomato Sauce Layer:
- 11 oz canned tomato paste, (two 5.5oz cans or about 1 1/2 cups) *see Note 2 below
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup white vinegar, I generally use white, but try both and see which one you prefer
- 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
Mashed Potato Layer:
- 3 1/2-4 cups prepared mashed potatoes, seasoned with butter and salt *see Note 1 below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. (non-convection/not fan-assisted). Have ready an 8x10 or similar-sized casserole dish.
- In a medium bowl, make the sauce by stirring together all of the sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the ground beef, egg, salt, pepper, crushed crackers and diced onion. Using a large spoon, stir to combine well. Add 1/3 cup of the prepared tomato sauce to the ground beef mixture and stir in well.
- Spoon the ground beef mixture into the casserole dish and press it into the dish in an even layer. Place the casserole dish on top of a baking sheet (to catch any bubble-overs) and place it into the preheated oven to cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven. Carefully tip the casserole and drain the excess fat from the dish into a bowl. Once drained, spoon the tomato sauce over the top and spread it into an even layer. Return the casserole to the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
- Tip! Dropping the mashed potatoes in large dollops evenly over the casserole makes it easier to spread them out over the tomato sauce.
- Remove the casserole from the oven. Drop big dollops of the mashed potatoes over the top of the casserole and use a spoon to spread them into an even layer on the top of the casserole. Sprinkle the mashed potatoes with some paprika, then return the casserole to the oven.
- Tip! The time needed to heat the mashed potato layer will vary depending on whether your mashed potatoes are warm, room temperature or cold when they go in the oven. Mashed potatoes that are still warm from freshly cooking will take the least time to heat, though, while mashed potatoes made ahead and cold from the fridge will take longer to heat.
- Finish baking the casserole until the mashed potatoes are hot, and the ground beef layer is cooked to at least 165F.
Notes
Note 1: You can make your own mashed potatoes (you'll need 3 1/2-4 cups mashed potatoes seasoned with butter and salt) or opt for ready-made, refrigerated mashed potatoes from the grocery store. Main St. is what is available locally, and it comes in 680g/24oz containers, which is the perfect size for this casserole. Instant mashed potatoes are not recommended as they tend to be too thin to hold up as a topping for this casserole.
Note 2: You can substitute canned tomato sauce for the canned tomato paste in equal amounts. For a bit of both, use half tomato paste and half tomato sauce.
Tips!
Opt for a casserole dish smaller than a 9x13, which may be too large. A dish around 8x10 or 7x11-ish is perfect! This will keep the layers well-balanced.
You'll want to keep a baking sheet under the casserole throughout the baking, as the fat from the ground beef can bubble up and over the sides.
The recipe as written is generously saucy. There was some discussion in the household as to whether it was too saucy. I was assured that there is no such thing, so I just went with it :) If your mileage differs, you can certainly reduce the amount of sauce to your liking.
Serve this meatloaf casserole with a green vegetable. Peas are classic, or try green beans or broccoli.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips, substitution suggestions and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 448kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 969mg, Potassium: 1630mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 842IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 7mg
Tried this recipe?If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment. It helps others to find it!
