Cheesy Personal Meatloaves

A smash hit! Some relatively minor tweaks and alterations, but mainly this is a recipe out of Cooking Light January 2011. Cooks faster than full-sized meatloaf, and allows for portion control, too.

Meatloaf Ingredients:
1/3 cup Panko
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 tsp dried oregano
Ground pepper to taste, I used 1/8 tsp
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup ketchup
1 or 2 tbsp mustard with horseradish or regular Dijon mustard, to taste
5 ounces reduced fat Jalapeno cheddar cheese, such as Cabot, or regular cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (this is important, don't substitute shredded)
2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 egg

Gravy ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp vegetable bouillon
1/4 tsp beef bouillon
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425.

Saute the onion until tender, then add the garlic and saute 1 minute more.

Combine all meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with your hands (wearing disposable gloves). Form into 5 or 6 oval-shaped meatloaves on a tinfoil-lined cookie sheet. Bend up the edges of the foil so the meatloaf juices don't drip and dirty your oven. Drizzle some more ketchup on top of the meatloaves, to taste. Bake for 25 minutes.

While it's baking, make your veggies and the gravy. I just boiled up some frozen mixed vegetables and put butter on them, since meatloaf has a homey, retro feel that makes me think of boiled mixed veggies.

The gravy is pretty standard; mix the flour with a little milk in the bottom of a small saucepan until combined, then gradually stir in the rest of the liquid and the other ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Gravy will form a skin if not served immediately, so rub it with butter to prevent that, or lay a sheet of plastic wrap or waxed paper down on top of it, pressing down so it touches the surface of the gravy.

I'm so excited to eat this as leftovers tomorrow, you have no idea.