Loaded Mashed Potato Meatloaf Casserole

6 servings
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes
Broiling Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Loaded Mashed Potato Meatloaf Casserole is an easy kid-friendly casserole with meatloaf base, loaded mashed potatoes, bacon and cheese baked until crispy.

When it comes to homestyle meals, you can’t go wrong with classic Meatloaf topped with Loaded Mashed Potatoes. This casserole turns a classic comfort food into a quick and easy Dinner Recipe the kids will love!

Loaded Meatloaf Casserole with Mashed Potatoes

LOADED MASHED POTATO MEATLOAF CASSEROLE

Casseroles are a weeknight meals many families love to make. They are easy, the kids love them, and clean up is a breeze, since they rarely need more than a few dishes. This Loaded Mashed Potato Meatloaf Casserole is no exception and comes together with in an hour without destroying your kitchen.

This Meatloaf Casserole is like a “Cowboy Shepherd’s Pie”. Fluffy mashed potatoes that have been loaded with cheese, bacon topping a classic meatloaf recipe, all the flavors kids love! Plus calling it a Cowboy Meatloaf Casserole gets kids to gobble it down.

Here’s the filling with it’s classic meatloaf base:

Meatloaf Casserole base

Many recipes for Loaded Potato Casserole call for instant mashed potatoes, but I like to use my Easy Mashed Potatoes. They are so quick to make, they will be done by the time the meatloaf layer is done cooking. If you still want to use instant mashed potatoes, I’ve included a quick recipe below to give them lots of flavor.

This is a great one pan meal (after it has been prepped) that travels well so you can take it for potlucks, or make ahead of time for an easy meal for the babysitter to pop in the oven. We like to serve it with Dinner Rolls and a side of Green Beans for well-rounded meal during the week.

Can you make this ahead of time?

Follow the recipe as usual but do not broil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil before storing in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To serve, remove plastic wrap and cover again with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until warm. Switch to broil for 3 to 5 minutes to brown cheese.

MORE DELICIOUS CASSEROLE RECIPES

 

Can you make Loaded Potato Meatloaf Casserole in a Slow Cooker?

Start by baking meatloaf layer as usual, or cook ingredients (except for egg) in a skillet like a Sloppy Joes. Transfer cooked meat to the slow cooker. Mix ½ bacon and fried onions with mashed potatoes. Spread potatoes over meat, then cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Sprinkle remaining bacon and onions on top, then cheese. Cover and cook 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.

Tray of Meatloaf Casserole with Loaded Mashed Potatoes with Cheese and Bacon on top

VARIATIONS ON LOADED POTATO MEATLOAF CASSEROLE

    • Ground Meat: Substitute ground turkey, chicken, pork, or even lamb for for a different flavor. Using ground lamb would make this a simple, delicious Easter Dinner.
    • Veggies: Add a layer of cooked frozen veggies like corn or peas and carrots, over the meatloaf layer. Or add a layer of sautéed mushrooms, onions, or bell peppers. 
    • Southwestern: Season your ground beef with Taco Seasoning. Stir in a can of drained green chiles either into your meat or your mashed potatoes and top with Monterey Jack cheese. Serve with sour cream and Salsa.
    • Potatoes: Instead of Idaho potatoes, try using Mashed Sweet Potatoes or mashing other favorites like Yukon Gold or Red Skin potatoes.
    • Low Carb: Make a Keto Loaded Potato Meatloaf Casserole with a quick and easy mashed cauliflower. Microwave 1 large bag of frozen cauliflower in a large bowl until hot. Add 8 ounces softened cream cheese and blend until mashed potato consistency.

MORE FUN FAMILY FAVORITE RECIPES

HOW TO STORE LOADED POTATO MEATLOAF CASSEROLE

  • Serve: This casserole will stay good at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
  • Store: Wrap tightly or transfer to an airtight container before storing for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. 
  • Freeze: Cool the casserole completely before freezing in a sealed container. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Slice of Meatloaf Casserole

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Loaded Potato Meatloaf Casserole

Loaded Mashed Potato Meatloaf Casserole is an easy, kid-friendly casserole with a meatloaf base topped with a loaded mashed potatoes with bacon and cheese baked until crispy.
Yield 6 servings
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 1 1/2 pounds Ground Beef , (85/15)
  • 1/4 yellow onion , finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg , lightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds potatoes , peeled and cut into 1" chunks
  • 1/3 cup  unsalted butter
  • 1/2  cup  whole milk
  • 1 teaspoons  kosher salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  coarse ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup bacon bits , cooked and crumbled
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese , shredded

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, gently combine beef, onion, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, salt and pepper then press into a 9x9 baking dish.
  • Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, then remove and drain any excess fat.
  • While the meatloaf is cooking add potatoes with just enough water to cover to a pot and bring to a boil on high heat. Cook for 15 minutes.
  • Drain the water and add the milk, butter, salt and pepper mashing it all together until creamy.
  • Spread over the meatloaf and top with cheese and bacon.
  • Bake for and additional 15 minutes, until bacon is sizzling and cheese is bubbling and the mashed potatoes are slightly crispy.

Nutrition

Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1188mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 2mg
Keyword: Loaded Potato Meatloaf Casserole

Loaded Mashed Potato Meatloaf Casserole collage

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. I found this recipe while looking for soft, filling foods that my daughter could eat with sore teeth and gums, after getting new braces. I used a 9×13″ pan, simply to make it a little thinner for her. I got my potatoes started in the pot and then assembled the meatloaf. Everything timed out perfectly, and my kids and husband really loved it. I will definitely be making it again.

    1. What an amazing Mom. Thank you Kay and especially for the 5 star review. New braces are no joke.

  2. So, I am horrible at following recipes bc I change every one I see. It drives my Aunt nuts, but your recipe inspired me for tonights dinner. The changes that I made where parmesan cream cheese and chive potatoes with added bacon bits. I feed a 13 yr old son so of course I needed to double the recipe if anyone else wanted to eat. I like the difference in flavor of meat so I used mixed ground beef and pork. Then I added black olives, mushrooms, spinach, cheddar cheese, bacon bits, orange and yellow bell peppers. Also I added garlic and onion powder seasoning to the meat mixture. Then made four little loads so I could drain the fatter meat. It added an extra 15 mins to the 45 mins cook time for yours. It was a hit! Thank you for inspiring our dinner tonight!

  3. I am going to make this to freeze, should I cook everything and then freeze it, correct? Also, how long do you think I can keep it in the freezer? Thanks!

    1. You’re right, cook everything, cool down completely and transfer to am airtight container and freeze up to two months. Enjoy!

        1. Freeze: Cool the casserole completely before freezing in a sealed container. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

  4. My ground beef comes in 1 lb packaging. if i decided to up the amount of meat in this to 2 lbs, how much longer would you guess the meat would need to cook for? My first thought is 10 minutes longer, but i’m terrible at timing cooking things.

  5. This was really great! I made it last night and was so surprised with how well the timing worked out. I put the bacon in the cold oven for 16 minutes on 400F, so that heated up the oven for me. Then I started the potatoes and while they were boiling I made the meatloaf. When the bacon was done I was ready to put the meatloaf in the oven. Then I was able to get the potatoes mashed just as the meatloaf was done. I did cook the meatloaf for 20 minutes by itself. I followed all your instructions exactly, they were great. I even had the kitchen all cleaned up by the time everything was done. Took me a little over an hour and I was very happy. The dish looked so nice when it was done and everyone really liked it. Thanks for such a great dinner recipe!

  6. I only see milk mentioned once here … how much for meatloaf and how much for mashed potatoes?

    1. Hi! Sorry it looks confusing, the second mention of milk is under the “2 pounds potatoes” in the ingredient list. Its is 1/2 cup.

  7. Doesn’t the meat layer get greasy from the ground beef. When I make meatloaf there is grease (drippings) in the baking dish which I need to drain?
    The recipe looks and sounds delish though.

    1. I used an 85/15 ground beef so it didn’t produce a lot of grease so it wasn’t an issues. I hope you enjoy it!

  8. I am confused on the cooking times. It would seem you bake the meatloaf for 15 minutes and then you should broil it while the potatoes are boiling (but for how long, 15 minutes?) and then bake everything for another 15? I see the total cooking time is 43 minutes so those 3 together would equal about that but 15 minutes seems like an awfully long time to be broiling something?

    1. I took that step out but forgot to remove it from the recipe card, so sorry about the confusion. It’ll cook for a total of 30 minutes.

  9. I was actually really excited to cook this but come to find out, I had to put it in for an additional 30 mins because the Hamburg was completely raw after the requested 15 mins. Was finally done after an additional 30 mins

  10. I’m confused on “baking” the meatloaf on the broil setting. Also you stated while the meatloaf is baking, yet again on the broil setting. Please explain. Thank you

    1. I used a 8×10 dish for the photos (I thought the red was pretty, haha) but it was made in a 9×9 dish. Both actually have the same volume so either will work. Hope this clears things up.

  11. Hello~ I want to make this, but I am confused as to the size of the baking dish to use. The recipe calls for a 9×9, but the photo looks to be a 9×13. Which is best?

    1. I used a 9×9. The photo shown is a 8×10 (which is the same volume so you could use that as well). I just liked the red dish for the photo. Sorry I confused you.

  12. is this really for a 9×9 dish? the pictures dont look square… just wondering how deep the meat layer should be if I were to attempt to make it in a 9×13 dish!

    1. It goes in for 15 minutes and then you’ll put the mashed potato on top and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy!

  13. I don’t understand the instructions? Once you bake it for 15 minutes are supposed to put back under the broiler? and then make the potatoes I assume. How long are you supposed to broil it for?

    1. There is no way the hamburger would get done in 15 minutes I make my shepherd’s pie this way and add my mashed potatoes on my uncooked hamburger and bake it for 1 and a half hours at 400 degrees

  14. If you add a layer of cream style corn between meat and potatoes you get a Quebec’s favorite dish called chinese pie (a kind of shepperd’s pie). Delicious!

    1. Looks, good, but I’m confused on step 4 and 5. How long do you broil the meatloaf after the first bake? Not for the whole duration the potatoes cook, right?

  15. Meatloaf is an American staple for family dinners. I love that this recipe is quick and easy to assemble. Perfect for mid-week meals.

  16. This was such an easy recipe, and the meatloaf turned out delicious. I’ll try using ground pork for next time since I got request to remake and I’m completely out of ground beef at the moment. 🙂