Meatloaf and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Casserole (Or Cowboy Meatloaf version 3.0)

So I was reading What’s For Dinner Moms? blog recently. And she had created a version of Cowboy Meatloaf from the Ore-Ida recipe. And suddenly a mishmash of both recipes plus a little change-up came to my mind. Thus, Cowboy Meatloaf Version 3.0 came about. In my version, I added spicy Italian sausage to the ground beef and like What’s For Dinner Moms? I made my own mashed potatoes. Here is a link to What’s For Dinner Mom’s? recipe: Cowboy Meatloaf With Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole. And here is the Ore-Ida recipe: Cowboy Meatloaf and Potato Casserole. Both are great recipes. Be sure to check them out.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
1 large red onion, diced
2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 teaspoons chili powder
3 cups potatoes, boiled and mashed
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup cooked bacon bits
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican Blend cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, coat a 13 X 9 baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine: ground beef, Italian sausage, diced onions, Panko bread crumbs, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, eggs and chili powder until well mixed.
Gently press meat mixture to the bottom of the baking dish. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, mix the hot, boiled and mashed potatoes with butter, milk, garlic powder, bacon bits and 1/2 cup of Mexican blend cheese.
When meatloaf is finished cooking, drain any excess grease from baking dish.
Spread the mashed potatoes mixture over the meatloaf evenly. Add the remaining 1 cup of Mexican blend cheese over the potatoes.
Place baking dish back in oven for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted. I like my cheese just melted, but if you want your cheese browned, you can turn up the oven to broil and place the casserole under burners for 2-3 minutes instead.
Remove the casserole from oven and let sit 3-5 minutes before serving.