Inspired by Mexican Made Easy

I recently discovered Mexican Made Easy and really like Marcela's cheerful attitude and simple recipes. She uses very refreshing ingredients and they're perfect for summer! Last weekend, she made a Mexican Meatloaf and it totally inspired me to try something similar since we never get tired of meatloaf at our house! It was SO good with just the right amount of kick from the Jalapeno and a perfectly cheesy top! I was excited to be able to use some of the spices that don't get nearly enough attention like cumin and cloves. Our kitchen really smelled like "Mexico" as I was mixing all the ingredients together! The thing I love about meatloaves too is that they're even better the next day but instead of making sandwiches, I'm thinking meatloaf burritos. :)

Ingredients:


1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Jalapeno, seeded, deveined, finely chopped
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/2 c shredded carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
2 eggs, well beaten
1 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 c ketchup
1/4 c sour cream
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c dried bread crumbs
1 c shredded Mexican cheese


Prep:


1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x5-in baking dish with cooking spray.


2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Jalapeno, onion, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring often until vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.


3. In a large bowl combine the sautéed vegetables with the chili, salt, cumin, parsley, cloves, pepper, cayenne and oregano. Add the eggs, vinegar, ketchup and sour cream. Mix well with a spatula. Add the ground beef and breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly until everything is combined.


4. Scrape the mixture into prepared dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf registers 160°F, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool 10 minutes before cutting.