Taco Meatloaf

Last night’s dinner was something definitely different than my usual “creations”.  The dish I made did get a little messy at times- so if that is not for you stop reading now!!!  I made “taco meatloaf”.  When I told Mom about the dish she said it wasn’t any meatloaf she has ever tasted…it was more of a taco casserole. Well, since I am the one cooking I will call it what I want! She missed out on a good meal.  It is a pound of ground beef that baked in the oven, so to me it is meatloaf! I found a few similar recipes, but since I have been watching what I have been eating I wanted to make it a tad healthier!  You can always change it to your own liking!

 What all do you need?  You need: 1 lb. ground beef (I used extra lean), fat free refried beans, whole wheat tortillas, Rotel diced tomatoes (mild), low fat shredded cheese (whatever kind you like!), and taco seasoning. Turn on the oven and preheat it at 400.

 In a bowl, take the ground beef and add the packet of taco seasonings, garlic powder, and cumin.  Make sure you mix it all together very well.  Then, add the can of Rotel- make sure you drain all of the juice first or it will be too runny (I learned from experience). I am not a huge fan of onions, but you can always add diced onions to the meat as well.  Mix it all together.  On a long piece aluminum foil, put the meat mixture on it and flatten it into a rectangle.  Make it about a ½ inch thick. Put about three tortillas on the meat mixture (depends on what kind you have).  Make sure the meat mixture is completely covered.  Heat up the refried beans and layer on the tortilla.  Next, take about a cup of shredded cheese and sprinkle all over the beans.  At this point, you can also add diced jalapenos or anything else you would like to add to tacos! It would have been too spicy for my girls or I would have added them. This is where it gets a little hard… pick up the end of it and roll it up.  You may need to use a spatula to get it started or lift the foil up to get it going. Then, wrap the aluminum foil around it and close the edges.  Put it on a cookie sheet or cake pan to bake in the oven.  Let it bake for about 45 minutes.  When you take it out of the oven, there is a lot of juice.  You may want to poke the bottom of it to let some of the juice out.  For my daughters, I added a little extra cheese on top.  Next time, I will probably throw some lettuce on top when I serve it for more vegetables! 

Happy cooking!