TACO MEAT LOAF

This meat loaf is a lot of fun and it is a great way to perk up any week night. It has crushed corn chips, salsa and cheese in it and then its topped with refried beans and more cheese.

The "heat" of your salsa will determine how spicy this meatloaf is, so it is easy to adjust for younger kids (and us grandparents). I like to serve it with Spanish rice, refried beans and coleslaw. It is a great change of pace.

1 pound of LEAN ground beef (less than 10% fat)
½ cup of finely crushed corn chips
1 beaten egg
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ cup of (your favorite) thick and chunky salsa
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup of Mexican blend shredded cheese

TOPPING
1 cup of refried beans
¼ cup of your favorite salsa
1 cup of Mexican blend shredded cheese

In a bowl, mix the ground beef, corn chips, egg, chili powder, cumin, salsa, black pepper and ½ cup of shredded cheese. Mix thoroughly and form into an oval on the baking sheet (not in a loaf pan).

 You should have an oval meat loaf like this

In a small bowl, mix the refried beans with ¼ cup of salsa and frost the top of the uncooked meatloaf with it. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes. The last few minutes of baking time, sprinkle the top of the meatloaf with one cup of shredded cheese and return to oven.

To serve, gently slide a thin spatula under the meatloaf to loosen it from the baking pan and lift it (all in one piece) to a nice serving dish.

NOTE: I do not add salt to this recipe because there is plenty of salt in the other ingredients.

NOTE: By baking this on a sheet pan (rather than a loaf pan) the grease will run out onto the pan and not "soak" your meatloaf.You shouldn't have much "grease" if you use 90% lean ground beef.