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Home » Main Course » Meat

Published: Apr 25, 2013 · Updated: Oct 18, 2022 · May contain affiliate links

Not My Mama's Meatloaf with Cheese

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This isn't my mama's meatloaf with cheese. It is my meatloaf recipe made with Cap'n crunch cereal and cheese. Weird, you say? Well, try it. You'll like it!

Not My Mama's Meatloaf with Cheese in white baking dish this …

The last 5 days found me on the East coast celebrating family.

It began in Philly where my husband, son and I picked up our daughter before heading up north of NYC.

Special doesn't begin to describe what it is when a family comes together that has been apart.

Well, it might not seem so important to them, but to a mother who still hasn't gotten over her kids leaving home, it was very heartwarming.

Our lives have been kind of stressful for awhile and this was one way to set that all aside and focus on what is really important.

Family makes me feel whole. It allows me to center on what is right in the world and lets me feel that everything will turn out OK.

If the kids are happy, then at least for a little while, I can set my cares aside and zero in on what is good.

This was a good eating trip. My daughter made sure of that.

We started at the Szechuan Hans Dynasty near U Penn and had a spicy, mouthwatering experience.

My son and husband thought they were back in China.

My husband had to have beef tendons which were like shaved thin slices of cellophane in an extremely spicy hot, though the dish was cold, sauce.

My son had fried potatoes fried with a bazillion, really a bazillion, red hot chili peppers and some star anise. He said he has never found them in the states before.

And then we had the Dan Dan noodles which were my favorite. My mouth is salivating right now.

The potstickers were superb and the chicken with vegetables and garlic and hot peppers was fresh and full of flavor. Please Hans, consider Denver. I beg you!

Mama's meatloaf

The next day we left for New York and the Bar Mitzvah that awaited us.

This is what I can say as a fact. New Yorkers are over the top. Denver seems sedate compared to this party.

I haven't danced like that since their last Bat Mitzvah. And that was good because I have a lot of calories to work off.

They began the partay with a sushi bar and all the junk food goodies. Fries and lamb chops and mini tacos and I guess I can't remember in detail, because I think I was already on my second lemon drop martini.

Dinner was  healthy halibut, but dessert was mini style hostess hohos and dingdongs and donuts. Like I said, it was amazing.

But seeing family is over the top in my book and it's too bad we don't live closer!

So after that and the Sleepy Hollow cemetery, well, someone has to visit, we headed back to Philly.

We did manage to rub Andrew Carnegie's headstone and William Rockefeller's for good luck, of course. And we saw Washington Irving's, too.

There were lots of folks buried there and we wished them all well. It was a beautiful spot, high on a hill. Definitely a good view for eternity.

Not My Mama'a Meatloaf with cheese

Sunday found my son quickly hopping the train into the Big Apple where he finished his weekend eating at Momofuku.

Lucky boy. I think I taught him well.

We drove with my daughter back to Philly and had a quiet evening alone with her in her cute little studio.

She took my husband for burgers and as I don't eat burgers, I had a shrimp sandwich.

We then watched The Apprentice and off to bed until we ate a really awesome breakfast.

The potatoes were killer and I love potatoes.

Got back to Denver safely to arrive in freezing cold blowing snow. This is ridiculous to have weather like we've had at the end of April.

But today looks gorgeous outside and the grass is very green.

We might even have managed to avoid a drought, but I doubt it. And after all that crazy eating we felt like something comforting.

And when I want comfort I usually think mashed potatoes. And if I think mashed potatoes, I then think meat loaf.

Now this isn't my mama's meatloaf with cheese.

My mama's meatloaf was the onion soup variety with ketchup and I think she used Heinz chili sauce but this is not a verified fact.

I decided to try something different.

A while ago we ate in one of those hip breakfast spots where they used Cap'n Crunch cereal in their meat loaf. Kid's cereal.

Now the waitress didn't know for sure how they did it, but this meat loaf had a pleasant, sweet, salty taste and it wasn't heavy.

They sliced it and lightly floured it and used it as a bed for fried eggs and potatoes.

Well, this got me thinking. I do too much of that, really.

But I decided to go buy me some Cap'n Crunch and experiment. I must admit, I really liked this meatloaf.

Just like I took a leap of faith on baking that last cake, you'll have to trust me on this.

Yeah, it sounds really weird. (Kind of like sweet gefilte fish weird), but it is really good.

And if you don't want to use the Cap'n, you can always use oh so boring, bread.

But this meatloaf with cheese is so not boring. And it sure isn't my mama's meatloaf.

Nope. This one is good!

meatloaf with cheese
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This is an updated post from 2013.
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meatloaf with cheese

Not My Mama's Meat Loaf or Cap'n Crunch Meat Loaf

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  • Author: Abbe Odenwalder
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 -8 Servings 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Nope, this is not my mama's meatloaf. But it is made with my favorite cereal and it sure is good!


Ingredients

Units Scale

1 ½ c Cap'n Crunch plus ⅓ c for mixing in or 3 slices crumbled bread
⅔ c milk
2 eggs
Salt, pepper, garlic powder
⅓ c chopped onion
1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
19 oz ground turkey or use 1 ½ lbs ground beef for turkey and pork
4 oz ground pork
¼ c ketchup
¼ c brown sugar
1 T prepared mustard


Instructions

Crush 1 ½ c Cap'n Crunch. Let soak in ⅔ c milk until soggy, about 15 minutes.

Add beaten eggs and seasonings and onions.

Add ¾ c cheese and turkey and pork. Stick your hands in and mush it around. Add ⅓ c uncrushed Cap'n Crunch.

Now take a tiny spoonful, put it in a dish and put in microwave for about 20 seconds. Taste it. If you need to add more seasonings, this is the time.

Shape into a loaf  in a 2 qt baking dish. Mix ketchup, brown sugar and mustard and spread on top and sides of loaf. Top with ¼ c of remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for about an hour. If you use turkey this may create a lot of meat juice. I just pour it off about halfway through so the sides of the loaf bake, not steam!

This is a good one. The rabbit catcher husband liked the tiny bits of sweet crunch that the whole cereal provides. Give this a try!


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  1. Jen Nikolaus says

    February 21, 2014 at 12:15 am

    Cap'n Crunch? So cool! I'm always looking for yummy meatloaf recipes and this sounds fascinating. Thanks for linking up to Saturday Night Fever!!

    Reply
  2. NancyC says

    October 24, 2013 at 1:29 am

    This looks like a great-tasting meatloaf!

    Reply
  3. Abbe Odenwalder says

    April 29, 2013 at 6:51 pm

    It is strange. But it is good!

    Reply
  4. Ashley Bee says

    April 29, 2013 at 6:22 pm

    I have seen chicken breaded in cereal, but never using it in meatloaf! Very strange. Sweet and savory though!

    Reply
  5. ChgoJohn says

    April 27, 2013 at 11:59 am

    What a fun & food-filled weekend! Isn't it nice to get family together for joyous occasions? Cap'n Crunch in meatloaf? Can honestly say I've never heard of that before. It sure would bring some fun to the dinner table and just might get a few picky eater kids to eat a full meal. Wouldn't that be nice? Thanks, Abbe, for sharing.

    Reply
  6. Abbe Odenwalder says

    April 25, 2013 at 9:59 pm

    Meatballs. Great idea! And I think you have lived everywhere! Very pretty but it was cold and not much blooming yet except daffodils!

    Reply
  7. Kitchen Riffs says

    April 25, 2013 at 9:43 pm

    Fun meatloaf. I rarely make meatloaf, but this sounds interesting. Might be a fun twist on meatballs, too. Sounds like you had a good eating trip! Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is fun. At one point or another in my life I lived a little south of it (in Dobbs Ferry) and north (in Croton-on-Hudson). Really pretty part of the world!

    Reply
  8. Abbe Odenwalder says

    April 25, 2013 at 8:55 pm

    My cousin! I am so happy to hear from you! When will our paths cross again? And Mr. TC/rabbit catcher good idea!

    Reply
  9. technology capitalists says

    April 25, 2013 at 8:29 pm

    Meatloaf eggs benedict could work 🙂

    Reply
  10. Abbe Odenwalder says

    April 25, 2013 at 6:44 pm

    It's a fun one Angie with a good twist!

    Reply
    • Cindy says

      April 25, 2013 at 7:19 pm

      this sounds delicious! I love all your posts, Abbe. Miss you!

      Reply
  11. Angie Schneider says

    April 25, 2013 at 6:16 pm

    We eat lots of ground meat dishes and this looks like a perfect meatloaf recipe.

    Reply
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You may have spotted me on Season 2 of the PBS series “The Great American Recipe.” Being part of a group labeled “the best home cooks in America” is a lot to live up to, but I’m up for the challenge! I'm glad you are here and hope I can set a place for you at my table!

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