Brown Sugar Meatloaf with Chipotle Gouda

Brown Sugar Meatloaf stuffed with Chipotle Gouda and a tangy glaze. This is meatloaf like you’ve never had it – but like you’ll wish you always had!

I like to call this a Cheeseburger Meatloaf because it’s stuff with cheese in the middle. We’re talking Brown Sugar Meatloaf Stuffed with Chipotle Gouda…then finished off with smoky-sweet glaze topping. Unlike my Turkey Meatloaf Bites, this Brown Sugar Meatloaf uses all beef. Of course, turkey could easily be used in its place, it’s really your personal preference.

I’ve also included a few more cheese, glaze and topping ideas that can easily be used in place of this Chipotle Gouda combination.

How to Make Brown Sugar Meatloaf

(Scroll down to the bottom for the printable brown sugar meatloaf recipe card with exact measurements and recipe instructions.)

1. Sauté

Sauté carrot, celery and onion for a few minutes or until onions are soft. Add garlic, sauté another minute or two.

2. Mix Meatloaf Ingredients

Add skillet ingredients to ground beef mix in eggs, panko breadcrumbs, salt and pepper until just combined.

3. Shape

Shape half the meatloaf mixture into a loaf shape, keeping the top very flat.

4. Add Cheese Layer

Place cheese in a mound on top of meat, then top cheese with remaining meatloaf mixture, forming into one large loaf and sealing completely to prevent cheese from oozing out during cooking.

5. Prepare Meatloaf Glaze

Mix together ketchup, brown sugar and adobo sauce.

6. Top Meatloaf with Glaze

Lightly brush half the glaze topping onto the top and sides of the meatloaf (it makes a thick layer).

7. Bake

All that’s left to do is bake it until it’s cooked through and the cheese is melty and oozing out the sides. Meatloaf made with beef should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit and 165 degrees Fahrenheit for turkey. The glaze will make it difficult to measure doneness and as always I recommend using digital thermometer to measure doneness.

Here is the recipe for the Loaded Hasselback Potatoes shown in the picture, you have to make them! But they’re even easier than this Brown Sugar Meatloaf so you’re good to go!

Meatloaf Toppings & Glazes

This is an easily adaptable recipe where you can customize the recipe how you like.

• Ketchup
• A1
• Barbeque sauce
  • Honey BBQ sauce
  • Mustard BBQ sauce
  • Pomegranate chipotle BBQ sauce
  • Soy BBQ sauce
• Jellies & Jams
  • Apricot jam
  • Bacon jam
  • Caramelized onion jam
  • Fig jam
  • Grape jelly
  • Pepper jelly
  • Tomato jam or chutney
• Gravy
  • Meatloaf drippings gravy
  • Sausage gravy
  • Onion-mushroom gravy
• Balsamic reduction
• Caramelized onions
• Chipotle sauce recipe
• Cranberry sauce or relish
• Cream of mushroom soup
• Gochujang glaze
• Horseradish cream sauce
• In-N-Out sauce (pair with cheddar cheese in the middle)
• Mushroom steak sauce
• Peppercorn sauce
• Pineapple glaze
• Queso or smoked queso
• Roasted red pepper sauce
• Spicy sriracha mayo
• Sun-dried tomato pesto
• Teriyaki glaze
• Salsa or pico de gallo

Meatloaf Cheese Ideas

Any cheese could be used (although the chipotle gouda is insanely good) and, if you don’t care for spicy, simply leave out the chipotle. If you can’t find Chipotle Gouda there are many similarly flavored goudas you can use such as spicy smoked gouda and pepper jack would work too. For cheese variations to couple with the toppings above use any semi-hard, easy melting cheese such as cheddar, Swiss, Colby, or Monterey Jack, Muenster, Provolone, or Havarti.

Tips & Variations

Meat alternatives – I recommend using 80% beef and 20% fat (80/20) but this meatloaf recipe is loaded with flavorful ingredients and will work well with many different types of beef or meat alternatives. A few suggestions include using beef with a higher or lower fat content, pork, ground turkey, ground chicken, bison or a combination. Many grocery stores have meatball and meatloaf mixtures that contain a combination of ground beef, pork and veal. Keep in mind when using a combination of meats that the meatloaf should be cooked to the individual meat with the highest minimum internal temperature. For meat substitutes with a lower fat content consider adding vegetables for added flavor.

Add Veggies – Sometimes I’m in the mood for the veggies to be diced so I get little chunks of goodness. Other times, I like to run the veggies (in this case, the mirepoix, otherwise known as onions, celery and carrots) through my Vitamix or food processor so they’re super fine and blend right into the meat. I still sauté them, it’s just more of a cohesive mass more than separately diced veggies. This is a great trick if you sub with turkey because it helps keep the meat juicy and tender.

Amount of cheese – The recipe calls for 1-2 cups of cheese but go with what your instincts tell you. I have even used a LOT of cheese in this recipe, a full 8 ounces which was a good 3 cups or so. I knew the cheese would leak out a fair amount, especially when I heaped so much on it, but I like to take what’s leaked out and spread it over the top. I’m cheese-crazy, what can I say 🙂

Brown sugar substitute – In addition to using brown sugar, I tested this recipe using Truvia’s Brown Sugar Baking Blend and it can be substituted in equal parts. I did this to lower the calories after all that cheese and the Brown Sugar Baking Blend has 75% fewer calories. It still came out great with fewer calories!

Ritz Crackers – Make a Southern Style meatloaf by replacing the panko breadcrumbs with buttery, crushed ritz crackers.

Continue to Content

Brown Sugar Meatloaf with Cheese in the Middle

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Brown Sugar Meatloaf with Chipotle Gouda in the middle and topped with a tangy Adobo glaze. This is meatloaf like you've never had it - but like you'll wish you always had!

Print

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds ground beef, 80/20 or what you prefer
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 cups chopped Chipotle Gouda to preference, I used Boar's Head
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons 1/3 cup light brown sugar or Truvia Brown Sugar Blend
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, from a can of chipotle peppers

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Sauté carrot, celery and onion in a medium skillet for a few minutes or until onions are soft. Add garlic, sauté another minute or two.
3. Add skillet ingredients to ground beef in a medium-sized bowl. Using your hands, gently mix in eggs, panko breadcrumbs, salt and pepper until just combined.
4. Place half of meatloaf mixture on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil (this will make cleanup a breeze). Shape into a loaf shape, keeping the top very flat. Place cheese in a mound on top of meat, then top cheese with remaining meatloaf mixture, forming into one large loaf and sealing completely to prevent cheese from oozing out during cooking.
5. Mix together ketchup, brown sugar and adobo sauce. Lightly brush 1/2 of mixture onto the top and sides of the meatloaf (it makes a thick layer).
6. Bake for 45 minutes, then pour/brush remaining ketchup mixture over loaf. Continue baking another 15 minutes or until meatloaf is completely cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 649Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 642mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 17gSugar: 38gProtein: 41g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

• Author
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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

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