Skip to Content

Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf with Beef & Pork

Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf recipe is easy to make and guarantees delicious melted cheese in every bite. This is our family’s favorite meatloaf!

Front view of sliced meatloaf with cheese dripping from the front.

Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf recipe is tender and moist and will soon become your meatloaf recipe of choice.

This Meatloaf stuffed with cheese guarantees that every bite is filled with rich cheddar cheese and not a flavorless stick of string cheese.

We love the perfect balance of meat to cheese in this meatloaf recipe.

We also love the texture of this meatloaf. It’s tender and juicy not dense and dry.

Meatloaf Ingredients

Top down view of the ingredients used in a cheese stuffed meatloaf including ground pork, ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, dried oregano, salt, pepper, garlic, cheddar cheese, onion, and garlic.
  • Beef – Ground Sirloin is what we use to create a tender meatloaf that’s full of flavor. We usually go for an 85/15 lean ratio but use what you prefer.
  • Pork – We use two varieties of ground meat in this recipe. The addition of pork with the beef adds flavor as well as an additional fat that provides moisture. Make you use ground pork and not pork sausage!
  • Egg – We use Grade A large eggs in all of our recipes which give us consistent results.
  • Bread Crumbs – We usually use Italian Bread Crumbs, but plain will work too.
  • Grated Parmesan – Grated parmesan adds another flavor profile to this recipe.
  • Cheddar cheese – We use white cheddar but either is fine. Buy the block version and cube it yourself.
    • Pre-cut or pre-shredded cheese contains anti-clump ingredients which in our opinion dries out the cheese.
    • A delicious variation would be pepper jack or mozzarella. Use a cheese that will melt but isn’t so soft that it disappears.
  • BBQ Sauce – This is an opportunity to add additional flavor and moisture. Use what you like such as hickory-smoked or a spicy blend.
  • Onion – We cook with yellow onion because they seem to sweeten as they cook. You can use a white onion or sweet Vidalia. Use what you like.
  • Garlic – Adds a well-balanced flavor.
  • Seasoning – We used dried oregano, salt, and pepper in this meatloaf. You could add a seasoning or seasoning blend such as Italian seasoning too.
Top down photo of cheese stuffed meatloaf garnished with fresh parsley on a white plate.

Tips for creating the perfect Meatloaf with Beef and Pork

  • The biggest problem I see is that people overwork meatloaf ingredients together. This creates a dense grainy meatloaf. You only need to mix until the individual ingredients are combined.
  • Use room temperature ingredients. This helps meld the ingredients together and you will be less likely to overwork the ingredients.
  • Using ground sirloin and ground pork creates a tender and moist meatloaf because of the richness of the ground sirloin and the fat in the ground pork.
  • We dice our cheddar cheese so each bite has cheesy goodness and not the cheese blob that using string cheese or thick strips do. Keeping our pieces at a fairly good size keeps the cheese from disintegrating into the recipe.
  • Glazing the meatloaf with barbecue sauce provides a great crust and flavor to each slice.
  • We make two meatloaves with this recipe. That allows them to bake evenly and quicker. It also allows us to put one in the freezer for another day.
    • You could also make one large loaf, meatloaf minis, or meatballs with this recipe.
  • We cook our meatloaf over a broiler pan. This allows the fat drippings to drain as it cooks instead of sitting in a layer of fat as it cooks.
  • Let the cooked meatloaves rest for 10 to 15 minutes prior to slicing. This assures that the juices don’t run from the loaves when sliced, leaving you with a moister and flavorful meatloaf.
Top down photo of two slices of Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf sitting on a white plate. The plate is garnished with fresh parsley and sits on a blue stripped napkin.

How to make Stuffed Meatloaf

  1. Coat a 10-inch skillet with olive oil or neutral cooking oil and brown the onion. As soon as the onion begins to soften and starts to turn golden brown, add the garlic. Remove from the heat and set aside.
    • We saute the onion which makes it sweeter. You could add raw onion to your meatloaf mix if you choose to.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the meat, egg, 1/2 cup of the bbq sauce, bread crumbs, parmesan, and seasonings. Mix until just combined.
    • We use our hands or a wooden spoon for mixing.
  3. Fold in the diced cheddar cheese.
  4. Shape the loaves. We make two loaves so they cook evenly and quicker. Plus, we can eat one and put one in the freezer for another day.
  5. Spray a broiler pan with non-stick spray and add the shaped loaves.
  6. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes and then glaze with reserved bbq sauce. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the meat registers 160°F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.
  7. Let the meatloaves rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
    • If you cut the meatloaf right away, the juices will run from the meat leaving it drier. Letting it rest assures that the juices are soaked back up into the meat.

Still looking for more meatloaf or meatball recipes?

Pin this amazing Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf recipe!

Two Photo collage for Pinterest. Top Picture is a front view of a sliced meatloaf with cheese dripping from the front. The bottom photo is of sliced cheese stuffed meatloaf on a white plate garnished with fresh parsley.

The perfect side dish!

You can find all of our side dish recipes here!

3/4 view of a loaf of cheese stuffed meatloaf on a white tray with the first to slices layered in the front. The plate is garnished with fresh parsley and sits on a blue stripped napkin.

Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf – Beef and Pork Recipe

Author: Julie Menghini
Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf recipe is easy to make and guarantees delicious melted cheese in every bite. This is our family's favorite meatloaf!
4.95 from 17 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword: Cheese meatloaf, Meatloaf
Servings: 10

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 lb ground sirloin
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 3/4 cup BBQ sauce divided
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs beaten lightly
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 6 oz cheddar cheese diced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F and place a broiler pan on a baking sheet. Spray the broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Drizzle a skillet with olive oil or vegetable oil. Over medium-high heat cook the diced onions until tender and browned. Add minced garlic and remove from the heat.
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and ground pork and mix until combined. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of bbq sauce, parmesan cheese, oregano, cooked onion mixture, salt, and pepper to the meat mixture. Mix by hand until combined.
  • Fold in the cheddar cheese.
  • Shape into two loaves and place on a broiler pan.
  • Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the meatloaves from the oven and glaze with remaining 1/4 cup of bbq sauce. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F.
  • Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 24gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 746mgPotassium: 386mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 294IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 209mgIron: 3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
4.95 from 17 votes (4 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Christi

Thursday 31st of August 2023

Best meatloaf ever!!! Stuffed the middle of the loaves with mozzarella for an even cheesier loaf!!! Used Trader Joe's Kansas City BBq sauce...SO GOOD!!! Thank you for this recipe, my husband absolutely loved it!!!

Julie Menghini

Friday 1st of September 2023

Thank you, Christi! Your variations sound amazing!

Carol

Wednesday 14th of September 2022

OMG… my only deviation was to use Panco instead of traditional breadcrumbs which I didn’t have. Stubbs sweet heat bbq sauce topped it off. Fabulous recipe. Thank you!

Julie Menghini

Wednesday 14th of September 2022

I'm so glad that you enjoyed it Carol! Thank you for your kind comment!

Eve

Wednesday 20th of July 2022

Absolutely delicious! Made it as 1 whole meatloaf in loaf pan, yummy! Will definitely make it again & again, thank you :)

Julie Menghini

Friday 22nd of July 2022

I'm so glad that you enjoyed it Eve! Thank you for letting me know.

Amy Nash

Wednesday 24th of February 2021

I made this last night and it was definitely a hit for my family! The combination of meats is so good and that cheese in the middle is delicious! I was really hoping for leftovers for lunch today but it's all gone!

Julie Menghini

Friday 26th of February 2021

Thank you, Amy! It's the perfect comfort food for this time of year.

Michaela Kenkel

Tuesday 23rd of February 2021

I was instantly drawn to this recipe when I saw it on FB. My Mom made a similar version with pork sausage when I was a kid and I HAD to try this one! It was fantastic! Thanks for helping me remember some great times!

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 23rd of February 2021

Thank you, Michaela! I don't think my mother loved cooking the way I do but she sure had some great recipes.

As Seen On