Birthday Party Food - Meatloaf Cheese Poppers

Meatloaf Cheese Poppers

Looking for an unusual birthday party snack? While meatloaf cheese poppers are unique, they are also incredibly flavorful and fun to eat. Kids and adults alike will love these tasty finger-foods. You'll like them to, as they can be made with one big bowl and a foil-covered cookie sheet. Guests can munch from toothpicks and napkins, leaving you with no dishes to worry about. You can make them ahead of time if you like, and they are scrumptious hot or cold.

Prepare the cheese first. Mild cheddar, pepper-jack, and provolone are all good choices. Buy higher-quality cheeses in bricks and cut them down into small cubes. Cheap cheese will make an oily, greasy mess. They should be avoided.

For the meatloaf mix, you will need:

1 1/2 pounds of extremely lean ground beef or turkey

1 jumbo egg

2 tablespoon of steak sauce

2/3 cup of Italian bread crumbs

salt, pepper, and parsley flakes to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients together in a big bowl. Use your hands to do this. The heat of your hands will help the mix to blend.

To assemble the poppers, take up a medium-sized ball of meat into your hand. Roll it into a slightly cylindrical shape until smooth, and then poke your finger into the ball. This creates a pocket for the small cheese cube. Insert the cheese and then close up the ball. Be sure you don't leave any seams or the cheese will leak out. Roll the poppers in some more bread crumbs to keep them from sticking.

Prepare a pizza pan or cookie sheet by laying tin foil down and then spraying cooking spray. Place the poppers about half an inch apart and bake them for about 25 minutes. Cut one in half to test. If you see any pink in the meat, give them another five minutes.

Once they're done, do not take them off the pan until they've cooled. Before serving them, cut one in half and make sure that the centers are cool enough to eat. The molten cheese inside can be dangerous if served at too high a temperature.

Offer dipping sauces such as honey-mustard, barbecue sauce, or ketchup and enjoy!