Confession: I hated meatloaf when I was a kid. HATED. My mom used to make it all the time with tomato paste, which I realized years later made me ill so I guess that explains that. But when I came across a recipe for a Mexican-influenced meatloaf I decided to give it a try. A Mexican twist makes everything better. And it turned out delicious!
Here’s what you’ll need for the meatloaf:
1 package of lean ground beef
1/2 cup of crushed corn chips
1 egg, beaten
3 teaspoons of chilli powder (more if you like things on the spicy side, which I do)
1/2 cup of salsa
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 cup of shredded cheese (I used marble)
Here’s what you’ll need for the topping:
1 cup of refried beans (I used the canned No Name brand)
1/4 cup of salsa
1 cup of shredded cheese
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, crushed corn chips, beaten egg, chili powder, the 1/2 cup of salsa, black pepper and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
Transfer mixture into a loaf pan (I used an aluminum one) and press down to form an even layer.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of refried beans and the 1/4 cup of salsa. Press onto the top of your uncooked loaf.

Place into oven and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.
Remove loaf pan from oven and add the 1 cup of shredded cheese you had set aside earlier for the meatloaf topping. Return to oven for an additional 5 minutes.

Serves 6. I served mine with a spring salad.