Tired of boring meatloaf? Try this salsa-loaf variation.
I made this for dinner last night & it was really good. I thought that 1 1/2 cups of salsa seemed like a lot, but it's not. Also, even using the medium salsa, it was not too spicy. It's a great way to use up stale saltines, too. I found that a cup of crushed saltines is about half of a sleeve of crackers. My husband poured extra salsa on top. Very easy. I will make this again & may even add a can of chopped chiles.
Read MoreFollowed the recipe the first time I made this. I didn't care for the salsa in the meatloaf. The next time I made it with Rotel tomatoes, and added onion and 2 teaspoons of chili powder, also added a little garlic salt. This gave the meatloaf more flavor. I also add more cheese.
Read MoreI made this for dinner last night & it was really good. I thought that 1 1/2 cups of salsa seemed like a lot, but it's not. Also, even using the medium salsa, it was not too spicy. It's a great way to use up stale saltines, too. I found that a cup of crushed saltines is about half of a sleeve of crackers. My husband poured extra salsa on top. Very easy. I will make this again & may even add a can of chopped chiles.
Followed the recipe the first time I made this. I didn't care for the salsa in the meatloaf. The next time I made it with Rotel tomatoes, and added onion and 2 teaspoons of chili powder, also added a little garlic salt. This gave the meatloaf more flavor. I also add more cheese.
This is a great recipe. It's easy and a real crowd pleaser. I have since been asked for this recipe from my sister, my mom, and even my grandmother. It's that good. I sprinkled cheese and poured a strip of salsa along the top 10 minutes left in the cooking time to make it look even better.
A GOOD MEATLOAF! I will be using this recipe from now on. I did add about 1/2 cup of bell pepper(my husband says it's not meatloaf without it). I think it might need a small amount of salt, but it is a snap to prepare! I shaped it in a casserole dish so it would brown-and it came out just right.Thanks, Katthy, you have a winner here!
Great recipe. Made it today. I used 1 3/4 pound ground meat, and used Rotel (1 and 1/2 cans), and Multi-grain Club Crackers, and the other items (little bit more cheese, but only one egg). I also added some extra cheese in the last 10 mins. I thought it was going to be too moist, but turned out really great! Cooked it about 1 hour 15 mins. Will be making this again!
Meatloaf in my world is akin to frozen fish sticks...yuck. However, I really really liked this! I followed the recipe exactly (a rarity for me) other than I made it in muffin form (still baking at 350, but for about 35 min, until temp reached 160). The texture was a *little& "mushy" on the inside (I kept double checking temp to make sure it was really done), but the flavor is excellent! I WILL make this again. And again. TY!
This is great meatloaf. It is also great stuffed in a pepper.
basically its taco meat, I cooked for 75 minutes, remotely tasty, but we broke out the hard and soft shell taco shells to make sense of the meal, wouldn't recomend, wouldn't make again
I kicked it up a bit at the end. Once it was done cooking I topped it with a mixture of 3T ketchup and 1T Srirracha and then browned it under the broiler. I also used a mixture of a 4-cheese Italian blend and Sharp Cheddar instead of the cheese called for as that was what I had on hand.
This recipe bailed me out of a meatloaf emergency the other night. I went to make my usual recipe from this site (mini meatloaves) and discovered unwelcome 'visitors' in my container of oats, YUCK! Then searched 'meatloaf' and luckily found this recipe which I had all the ingredients for, whew. Everyone liked it for a change and I will put it in my usual rotation. As always, I prepared it as directed which is the only fair way to rate a recipe the first time! Thanks!
I added 1 cup of the salsa to the mixture and put the remaining 1/2 cup over the top of meatloaf before putting in the oven. Instead of adding saltine crackers, add the same amount of Tortilla chips for that extra mexican flair!! This also makes the meatloaf Gluten Free!
I prepared exactly per recipe. It was fabulous! My husband is the worlds biggest food critic, preferring everything to be "gourmet"... and he loved it! My 2 year old loved it. My picky 4 and 6 year olds didn't. BUT...I will definitely make it again since hubby raved about it! Delish!
Very tasty but very moist. In fact if you are making this for someone who has issues with lack of texture it may be too moist. I will make this again but I think I will use bread crumbs rather than crackers.
To deal with some of the excess liquid, I put the salsa in a strainer while getting together the remaining ingredients. That seemed to help make a more firm meatloaf. It was a nice bit of variety that everyone enjoyed. Great with cornbread and mexican sour cream rice (from this site).
I love meatloaf with salsa. I can my own from vegetables in my garden, then in the winter use the salsa in my garden meatloaf on this site. It tastes so fresh! Thanks for the idea with the monterey jack cheese! VERY GOOD!
This has got to be one of the best meatloaf recipes I've had the pleasure of eating! Really! My hubbie took ALL leftovers with him to work the very next day and what he didnt eat at work he brought home later and ate after our regular meal for his "nighttime snack". Plan to use this recipe everytime I make meatloaf in the future!
I used ground turky and bread crumbs because they were on hand and it came out very good. It was a bit moister than I expected so I cooked it an extra 15 minutes for good measure. Will definitely make again and maybe try with hot salsa next time :)
I have been making my meatloaf this way for years. I don't use the cheese and add Worchestershire and Franks Redhot sauce. I also throw it all in a ziplock bag to mix...hands stay clean and just toss in the trash when done.
Awesome! I've never been a meatloaf fan but this is really incredible. The most moist meatloaf I've ever eaten. The salsa makes all the difference. I've tried this with different cheeses and I'm going to bake this next one wrapped in bacon! And the leftovers make the BEST meatloaf sandwiches!!
Great meatloaf with just the right amount of 'bite' I used pepper jack, and added some minced onion and bell pepper. Can't wait to have it on a meatloaf sandwich tomorrow -YUM!
The very best meatloaf I have ever made, and I have made quite a few from this website. After reading reviews, I was afraid of the loaf being mushy, so I used 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef and kept the rest of the ingredients the same, and it turned out moist and did not fall apart. Thank you for a wonderful recipe! *****Second time around*****I chopped jalepeno peppers and used all pepper jack cheese--Now it has some bite! Yummy!
Absolutely loved it! I doubled the recipe and used hot salsa and chopped\steamed a small onion and added it in but it was delicious! Thank you so much!
Loved it. Only change was adding 3/4 of a chopped red bell pepper to the mix and adding the remaining 1/4 to the top!
This was the simplest and best tasting meatloaf I've ever eaten. I had to substitute couscous for crackers because that was the only starch I had and it was still delicious. What I liked best was that I could taste the flavor of the beef itself, not onion soup mix, or any of the other typical seasonings. BRAVO! Even Mr. Picky (my husband) liked it - he said it was "pretty good" which is high praise from him.
was great my kid loved it i liked it alot read most of the reviews and used oatmeal instead of the crums -didnt fall appart on me and tried it with turkey meat just great!
I've hate meatloaf since I was a child but I make it because my family likes it. I have to say this is the only meatloaf I like I tasted it just to see if I could choke it down and I hafta say I will be having a second helping tonight
I was cautious about this recipe at first, since it has no salt, garlic, pepper, or any other spices in the recipe. But I made it to the letter, and it was great! It came out very flavorful and moist, and it made plenty for two plus leftovers. It's very simple and totally idiot-proof! Try this one tonight.
This is yummy, affordable as well as easy. I have made this a good dozen times with all deferent salsas and it never disappoints. I have even used a bit of spaghetti sauce once when I did not have the full amount of salsa on hand and it was still great. I do add a bit more crackers than the recipe calls for and it is still VERY moist. I serve it with oven baked crispy potatoes and a side salad. Prep time is as easy as mixing one bowl and patting into a loaf pan. Hard to believe how far a pound of beef with go! My kids love it too.
This was delicious! The salsa made it spicy, something that seemed to be missing in my other meatloaf recipes. I will definitely make this again.
Very good. Needed more seasoning. The best thing I have learned from watching a cooking show is to make a small patty after putting ingredients together & cook to see if taste is to your liking.
I followed this recipe to the word. It was very mushy and we did not care for the flavor at all...
De-lish! This was excellent! I added a little garlic powder, onion salt and fresh ground pepper. Baked 1 hr and 10 min, still very moist. Oh and I added more salsa to the top for the last 10 minutes as another reviewer suggested. I think 5 words can sum this up...he went back for seconds! Thanks KATHYC4!
Normally I'm not a big meatloaf fan, but this was delicious! Mt salsa was chunky and had corn in it. This came out spicey and so moist! It is my favorite meatloaf so far! Thanks for sharing! We all went crazy over it!
This was a very good makeover for regular old meatloaf! I made a few changes based purely on what I had available in the pantry to make this... I used canned tomatoes with green chiles instead of salsa and bread crumbs in place of the saltines. We will definitely be making this recipe in the future. My husband had the leftovers wrapped in a tortilla with lettuce and sour cream the next day and loved it just as much! Thanks for sharing!
This meatloaf had wonderful flavor but was way too "wet". Pretty much fell apart when trying to cut. I will try it again but will cut down the salsa to 1 C. and will drain it before adding to the meat mixture as other posters have suggested. Otherwise very good!
I followed suit with others and added remaining salsa and cheddar cheese last 10 minutes. Hubby went back for seconds. 19 years of meat loaf and never seen that! Highly recommend.
Very good, . . . I replaced the ground beef with ground turkey and used no fat saltines, reduced fat parmesan cheese and low fat Monterey Jack cheese to lower calories. Delicious
This was Excellent! I only used 1 cup of Salsa, but boy this was the best Meatloaf my family has had in years! 5 stars!!
This is my second time making meatloaf, My family and I actually like this recipe the most!!! I did make a change, instead of crackers I used Italian bread crumbs
Really delicious, use breadcrumbs and added chopped onions, only one cup of salsa, cheddar cheese - mike loved it
Yum! I had 2 pounds of very lean ground beef thawed so I used that. I didn't exactly double the recipe, but I did add more of everything. Didn't have saltines so I used my homemade WW bread crumbs, yum!! Cooked it in my Pampered Chef mini loaf pan so it made 4 mini meatloafs. Took it out at about 35 minutes. Delish!
This is an easy and great new taste in meatloaf. I added a new twist that some of you might enjoy. Instead of baking this recipe in oven, I smoked it in my Brinkman smoker with mesquite wood. I placed meatloaf (out of loaf pan, upside down) on top rack in smoker until thermometer read 160 degrees, about 1hr.
Neither myself nor my husband liked this recipe. Although it's an easy recipe, it was rather bland and tasteless. I think it must be the salsa I used. I'll use the leftovers to make a taco salad!
This meatloaf is different than any other I've tried. I was pleasantly surprised. The leftovers (assuming you have any) can be used in a variety of ways. We made sandwiches, tacos, and taco salad. I used home made salsa, green chilies, and extra shredded cheese because I omitted the parmesan.
Fantastic! I used about 1.5 pounds of ground beef, Pace Chunky Salsa (Medium Hot) and Pepper Jack cheese. Since I used a little extra meat, I utilized an entire package of ground up Saltines and a heaping 1/4 Cup of the Parmesan and Peper Jack Cheese. Very tasty.
Wow! Good stuff! I used Pace's "Fire roasted corn & black bean" salsa and added some diced onion & green pepper. My family was SO pleased - even the picky people liked it! This recipe is a keeper!
I made this last night. Really quick & easy. I thought it might need salt, but it was perfectly seasoned. I used Provolone instead of jack cheese, because it was all I had, but it was delicious. Next time I will be sure to try it that way, too. Also, I might try shaping it into a loaf in a roasting pan, so the top had a browner, more attractive appearance. But the texture and flavor were wonderful. I will be making it again.
I love making this and my family loves eating it. I change the recipe a little!
I hate meatloaf, but my husband LOVES it. I decided to look for a different kind of recipe to try when i found this one. it was awesome! the only problem i had was it needed a little more time to cook all the way through. I find it a great recipe to make when i don't really feel like cooking.
This was good, but not spectacular. It didn't bowl everyone over. I used a mixture of colby and jack cheeses and used one sleeve of buttery round crackers, as that's all I had on hand. It went really well with the Mexican Sour Cream Rice.
Mixed reviews in my house. Hubby didn't think it had much flavor. Son and I liked it. It made a moist flavorful meatloaf. Will make again. Possibly in place of cracker crumbs next time will use tortilla chips or corn chips crushed to add a little more mexican flavor.
I substituted Pepper Jack for Monterey Jack and added some green peppers. Great flavor! Love this recipe, will make it again for sure!
I just got married and am making new meals for the first time for my husband. This was my first attempt at meatloaf ever, and it turned out great! The recipe was easy to make and my husband loved it.
This was a great spin. I substituted the sweet heat chipotle sauce instead of the salsa and added grated cheddar. My son loved it and he doesn't like meatloaf. I will make this again for sure.
Very delicious and an interesting twist on an old favorite. We paired it with a salad and the Basil Pesto Bread Rounds from this site for a really yummy meal!
It was very good. My husband gave it two thumbs up and he isn't a big fan of my cooking. I used 2 pounds of meat and it was not mushy. It helps to add a little bit more of the breadcrumbs to bind everything together.
GREAT!!! Yummy meatloaf with TONS of flavor!! I have made this recipe at least 5 times now and it's so easy and perfect :)
I am a single guy and this recipe never fails! I make it in 5 small 2" x 5" loaf pans and freeze `em. I have also used cheddar cheese and mozzerellain it, and have used generic "cheese crackers" GO FOR IT, this recipe is MOST EXCELLENT!
This was a great alternative from having "regular" meatloaf. I did make a few alterations: I used ground buffalo instead of the ground beef, also I substituted the salsa for 1 can of rotel and added some onions and garlic to the mix. It took 20 mins longer than the bake time mentioned and I did need to drain it halfway through, but my family loved it and not a single leftover! Definitely will make again!
As good as it can get for a different twist on meatloaf. I followed the recipe, but did as others suggested and added a little more spice; ie, a little bit of taco seasoning. I used a muffin pan and baked little meatloaf balls in that at 350 for 35 mins. It was moist but not 'wet'. Surprisingly really good! Served with Mexican rice and a salad it was a tasty meal.
I'm not a big meatloaf fan but my husband and I both liked this quite a bit. I did have to wonder though if the meat should have been 1.5 lbs and the salsa 1 cup. This was so moist, I had to put it in a loaf pan to bake, and even more moist after baking because the liquid couldn't escape. We had to spoon it out of the loaf pan, this was not firm enough to slice.
This was really good. I've made it a couple of times and used corn bread stuffing mix instead of the saltines one time, another time I used bread crumbs. In both cases it was because I didn't have any saltines and just used what was on hand. The cheese and salsa both add excellent flavor.
My husband and I loved this recipe. We hate ketchup in our meatloaf so the salsa was a great twist!
This was a very delicious yet simple cuisine for the whole family. And it's a good recipe for kids to work with. I substituted medium salsa to a plain tomato sauce or flavored spaghetti sauce, which tasted better for those who are not fond of chillies. I only used Monterey Jack and made a little over half cup of it. I made use of Sunflower crackers instead. I guess the crackers were to substitute bread crumbs. I had my kids add the cheese, the crackers, the sauce onto the mixture, and watch the time til it's baked. After exactly an hour, it's chow time. I served it with buttered mix veggies, which everybody just loved even the pickiest eater. The loaf came out so tender and juicy. It was a very delectable meal!!
This was the perfect diner! The whole family loved it and for the whole duration of it my husband wouldnt stop moaning! Deffinately making this one again!
I made too much! Doubled the recipe, so it had to cook longer. It was too spicy for me, but my man is Texmex, and he LOVED it. Will make again.
Terrific!! My husband wanted to know why I didn't make two!! My kids (who are usually a little "Ho-hum" about meatlof couldn't get enough!! Will definately make this one again!! Thanks for the yummy recipe!!
I made this recipe but used sharp cheddar instead of monterey jack. It was great! My husband loved the twist and the salsa taste. It is a lot more moist than traditional meatloaf, but it absolutely delicious!
I made this exactly as directed, but topped with additional salsa and monterey jack for the last 3 minutes in the oven. I didn't realize how strong the salsa taste would be (maybe it was the brand I used, not sure), but had I known, I would not have topped with more salsa...Overall, this is a good recipe. Mine came out a little mushy, but pretty good.
A little soft, but a great taste. I added a half a packet of onion soup mix. I have made this recipe several times always with compliments.
I used turkey instead of beef, WW bread crumbs instead of saltines, extra cheese, and cooked in a square pan for 35 minutes. Very tasty! I can't deal with very spicy food, and usually buy mild salsa, but decided to try this with medium. It gives the dish just a touch of spiciness. A new favorite!
This recipe was so easy. I am far from being a cook. I decided to come on this website to try to surprise my husband with an actual meal. I invited my mother-in-law and they both LOVED it.
Pretty good meatloaf! I don't really care for meatloaf, but my family loves it. So when I do make it, I try to use new recipes. This one tops them all so far. My husband suggested to layer meat then more cheese, then meat, cheese and so on. I will try it that way next time. I will definately use this recipe again. Thanks!
I added more crackers like others suggested but it was still pretty soft and crumbly. We weren't overly impressed with the taste although it's still better than plain ole meatloaf. Needed more spunk to earn 5 stars from us!
I'm not a big meatloaf fan, which is a bit ironic, bc I've always made my own version of it that my family loves. I thought I'd try this one for a change. I subbed plain shredded wheat for the crackers just to get rid of the shredded wheat, and it worked well enough. I used 3 of the big pieces of shredded wheat. I didn't really measure any of the ingredients, and added some garlic, onion powder and taco seasoning. After it tested done, I topped with some more salsa and cheese then broiled for a few min to melt the cheese. Success! I didn't mind it--I like the salsa flavor--and bf had two big helpings. Only issue I had was that it was a bit too moist and crumbly, so a bit difficult to serve. But I think that's my sub of shredded wheat--I've always used saltines before in meatloaf and they bind a bit better. Thanks for the recipe!
I am a food service director for a christian school and college and we feed the church people every Wednesday night so I was a little nervous about stepping out, meatloaf is one of my favorite meals and my family ahs made alot of meatloaves but we have never put cheese in the recipe before but let me just say that we had about 15% of the people that ate this meatloaf say it was the best they have ever eaten.Many people had said thay would use only this recipe next time. So thank you to the one who created it.
This was an AMAZING recipe. I like meatloaf and I make an Italian version but this was so good and easy! I read the other reviews and decided that the salsa amount was off. I used a cup of salsa, Kashi TLC crackers, and no cheese (I'm watching my weight). I cooked it a little too long but it was still really good!
This recipe is a nice change to ordinary meatloaf. Definitely worth a try. Love the zip from the salsa. Could use more salsa and cheese on top 5 mins before done baking.
This was good. Tasted like a taco w/o the shell. I used breadcrumbs instead of crackers.
Great recipe, and so easy! I used 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground turkey. My family gobbled it up.
