Hey, are you guys fans of a mushroom Swiss burger? What if you could have all of that taste in a less fussy, more of a meal meatloaf form, something everyone will eat, ready in about 35 minutes, would you go for it? What if it was these fast & easy Individual Mushroom Swiss Meatloaf, with just a little Swiss Cheese Sauce to take them over the top?
Individual Mushroom Swiss Meatloaf – It’s the quick cheese sauce that takes it over the top!
I have a few different recipes on my site (and they’re all stellar, of course, if I do say so, lol! I know, I’m such a putz to say so) but it’s not that often that I make meatloaf. They’re always a bit of a production, heavy on a lot of ingredients, and then, of course, there’s that long baking time. Individual meatloaves, tho? They’re a whole ‘nother story. They cook so fast there’s not a lot of heroics needed to keep them moist and delish and the cleanup is nothing!
About Individual Mushroom Swiss Meatloaf:
Right away, you probably notice I said “mushroom” and “everyone will like them.” That’s because these meatloaves just have a few mushrooms and they’re chopped and cooked with just a bit of onion, then mixed in with the beef. They all but disappear in the meatloaf so it’s likely that unless you have very picky, very discerning eaters they may not even identify the mushroom in the little baby loaves. What they do, though is add to the umami flavor and help keep these babies nice and moist, especially with the bit of cheese that’s added.
I like to make my individual meatloaves right on a foil-lined sheet pan. There’s virtually no cleanup, and maximum surface area for a little browning and some of the excess fat just renders away. Do you use muffin pans? What a pain they are to clean. Stop that and make little meatloaf “footballs” instead. Even if you don’t make this recipe, that method is something you’ll want to try.
Individual Mushroom Swiss Meatloaf
The Cheese Sauce:
And while these meatloaves are just fine as is, once the were out of the oven, I just couldn’t help but think they needed to be extra. They were good but I couldn’t help but think of mushroom swiss burgers you might get at a restaurant, all topped with cheesy sauce. I suppose you could add a little grated cheese to the top, instead, but I just had to up the game.
Besides, there was so little effort involved in the meal, a few minutes on a quick little cheese sauce seemed like nothing! And that sauce? It’s super simple and delicate and light and was so good with the meatloaves. I gotta say, it didn’t hurt those baby potatoes at all, either, This meal would be good with so many other sides. French fries? Potato Wedges? Even mashed! Those baby potatoes, though, just about stole the show; they’re my Oven Roasted Tiny Potatoes.
Oven Roasted Tiny Potatoes
Making Individual Mushroom Swiss Meatloaf:
I love that these meatloaves are fast, but I also love the minimum of ingredients. I started out with a little less than a pound of beef and mushrooms, onions, cheese, and just a little oatmeal helped stretch that beef! And of course, that cheese sauce makes them seem even more substantial.
Start out with a little oil and just cook the onions and mushrooms together, just to take the edge off the onions, and then it’s just a simple matter to mix up the rest of the ingredients. Always handle the beef gently when mixing. I like to mix everything together, then add the meat so it takes very little to mix the beef in. Gently form the loaves in your hand, then brush with a little Worcestershire sauce for added flavor and to help them brown up a bit. They won’t be in the oven for long so a little extra help is needed.
Bake on a foil-lined tray, and turn up the edges of the foil around the outside edges to contain any dripping. Now I made the baby potatoes on a separate sheet tray just in case the timing was different, but these ones were really small, about the diameter of a quarter. If your potatoes are small enough, and if you have room, they could go on the same tray. Any larger and they’d need a little head start to be done at the same time, or the meatloaves would need to be removed and the potatoes cooked just a bit longer.
As far as doneness, my meatloaves were cooked through to 165 degrees F. in about 22 minutes, so these are quick! This is a great recipe to double, shape and freeze some to have at the ready. I usually freeze them individually then put them together in a ziplock. I prefer to thaw them overnight and cook the next day but in a pinch, if you’re careful, they could be defrosted in the microwave, then cooked.
I gotta give a shout out to one of my fave recipes on this site, my Homemade Seasoning Salt. I used to not like the same ol’ same ol’ flavor of seasoning salt. Until I started making my own!
Saving Money on Individual Mushroom Swiss Meatloaf:
Ground beef isn’t necessarily the big bargain it used to be, at least compared to some of the other proteins out there. Shop well for it, buy on sale and break down into sizes your family will use. Freeze it.
Mushrooms go on sale regularly, so the time to use them in recipes is after you spot a good price. This recipe uses just a few so it’s a perfect save when you have a few on hand leftover from salads or other recipes, or if you’ve let a package go for too long and only have a few good ones left! Extend the life of your mushrooms by poking holes in the bottom of the package and storing it upside in the fridge.
Cheese is an item that is on sale so often, it’s not that hard to keep stocked up at a low. Again, an item that’s on sale around sporting events and holidays and periodically drops to a low throughout the year. Know those highs and lows and stock up at rock bottom prices. Cheese will keep for weeks in the refrigerator, unopened and can be frozen, although the texture will suffer. It will still be fine in recipes, but not so good for slicing or just eating. Aldi has great prices, rivaling grocery store sales pricing. Your buyer’s club might. Crunch the numbers.
I hope you enjoy these baby meatloaves! They’re truly fast and easy and such a great save anytime time is short, although you might not want your meatloaves any other way from no on! Stay safe everyone!
Mollie
Individual Mushroom Swiss Meatloaf
Individual Mushroom Swiss Meatloaf
It’s good without the quick, easy cheese sauce, but so extra with!
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Beef Main Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Meatloaves:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion (about 1/2 smaller onion)
- 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
- 3 ounces grated Swiss cheese
- 1/4 cup oatmeal (old fashioned or quick-cooking)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (plus a teaspoon or two to brush the tops of the finished meatloaves)
- 3/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 to 1 pound ground beef
Cheese Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup cream (optional)
- 1/2 cup cheese
Instructions
Meatloaves:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with a piece of foil large enough to hold the meatloaves with an inch or so between and turn up the edges.
Heat oil in small skillet and add onions and mushrooms and cook about two to three minutes until the onions are starting to soften and mushrooms are giving off their juices. Set aside to cool.
To a medium-sized bowl, add the Swiss cheese, oatmeal, the 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, the seasoning salt, pepper, and egg. Mix thoroughly. Add the cooled vegetable mixture and mix. Add in the found beef and gently work it, mixing in the ingredients well. Take care not to compress the beef.
Mixture will be moist. Form into four oval half egg-shaped loaves about two inches high with curved tops (easiest done by estimating half of the mixture, then half again.) Place on foil-lined rimmed sheet pan about an inch apart. Brush the tops with a little Worcestershire sauce. Bake at 350 degrees to desired doneness, about 20 to 25 minutes to reach 165 degrees depending on oven. Do not over bake.
Note: to freeze, lay each loaf on a piece of plastic on a flat surface. Freeze until hard, then use the plastic wrap to wrap each individual loaf. Add to a Ziploc and label. Thaw overnight in the fridge to bake the next day.
Cheese Sauce:
Note: this is better with a little cream; can be made with milk in a pinch.
Ina small saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat until melted; add flour and cook, stirring for about a minute. Slowly add milk, whisking. Add cream if using. Allow to come to a boil and cook for a minute or two until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without filling in when a finger is run across.
Remove from heat and add cheese bit by bit, stirring after each addition. Mixture will thicken just a bit as it cools. If not using cream, judge the mixture and add a little more milk if necessary.
Pour over finished and plated meatloaves. Pass any remaining.
Keywords: Bargain Meal of the Week, Beef, Cheese, Cream, Ground Beef, Meatloaf, milk, mushrooms, swiss cheese
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I’ll be sharing at Fiesta Friday #328, cohosted this week by Laurena @ Life Diet Health
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