Give Meatloaf A Bold Twist With This Southern Spread

Meatloaf is one of those humble-yet-delicious "make it once, eat it twice" meals that help you stick to your grocery budget without sacrificing quality. Though perfect for a casual weeknight family dinner, it can also serve as the star of your table when showcased properly alongside super bacony mashed potatoes, some brown gravy, and Parmesan-dusted roasted vegetables. Not only is it a fantastic way to elevate ordinary ground beef and stretch it over several meals, it's also very easy to customize simply by changing the seasonings and sauce.

The biggest drawback to meatloaf is its tendency to dry out in the oven if it's not mixed properly. One way to remedy this is to make sure you choose the right ground beef blend for your meatloaf to ensure there's enough fat to keep things juicy and tasty. Something else you can do is stir in a secret ingredient that not only keeps your meatloaf moist, but also brings the flavor in a big way: Southern-style pimento cheese.

This classic Southern snacking staple is a blend of shredded cheese, mayo, crimson pimento peppers, and seasonings that can include everything from paprika and garlic powder to pickled jalapeños and green chiles. Not only is pimento cheese the perfect way to upgrade your ham sandwich or potluck table, it's a total flavor bomb stirred into your meatloaf mix. You can literally just fold some into your usual meatloaf mix for a twist on a classic you may want to make on repeat.

Though most meatloaf recipes are fairly forgiving when it comes to modifying them a bit, you can definitely have too much of a good thing. If you're concerned about your meatloaf becoming mushy or not cooking properly after adding a few spoonfuls of premade pimento cheese, you can always create a cheese and seasoning blend that leaves out the mayonnaise. The blended cheeses still add moisture, while seasonings such as pickled onions and cayenne pepper still pack a punch of flavor.

However, if you're searching for ways to bind meatloaf without using eggs as groceries continue to become more expensive, the mayo holding everything together in this flavorful dip may be exactly what you need. Since mayonnaise is little more than eggs and oil emulsified together, it should make a decent sub for eggs as a binder, with the added bonus of making your meatloaf taste like heaven. Just add the dip to your mixture a little at a time until the consistency feels right. If you add a bit too much and your meatloaf starts to feel loose, just add some more breadcrumbs.

As with any deeply seasoned dish, one of the best things about pimento cheese meatloaf is enjoying it the next day. The seasonings have time to blossom overnight, marrying and creating an even richer flavor. Feel free to pan-fry a slice or two to stuff inside a sandwich, or add pan-seared cubes to your favorite pasta.