I never know when inspiration will strike me. I was cruising down the aisles of Sprouts, one of my new favorite stores, and came upon some tortilla crumbs. What? I have never heard of tortilla crumbs, but Sprouts is stocked with all sorts of products for people who need to eat a gluten free diet. “Hmmmmm?” thought I. What could I make with tortilla crumbs?
Maybe tortilla crumb breaded fish or shrimp or chicken? Toast the crumbs and sprinkle over a bowl of soup? No, too ordinary. Oh all right, meatloaf is pretty ordinary too, but not when you add tortilla crumbs and Mexican spices!
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Mexican Taco Meatloaf
What happens when you use tortilla crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs for meatloaf? You get a fabulous Mexican Taco Meatloaf, that’s what!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, small dice
- 1 large red bell pepper, small dice
- 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferable Mexican, divided
- 3 teaspoons ground ancho chile powder, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
- 1/2 cup tortilla crumbs
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 pounds ground pork
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, red pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 2 teaspoons ancho chile and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.Cook the vegetables for around 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are softened.Add the tomato paste and tortilla crumbs, stirring well, and cook for about 1 minute. Remove the vegetables from the heat and let cool.In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef and pork, the remaining spices and the cooled vegetables. The best way to really get the meatloaf ingredients mixed is to use CLEAN HANDS.Place the meatloaf into a large loaf pan, or divide it into two meatloaves. Place the meatloaf into a preheated 350 degree oven, and cook for about 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Details
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Yield: 1 meatloaf
never heard of tortilla crumbs… i guess it’s a califronia, even texas, thing where mexican-hispanics live mostly, no???
This looks like meatloaf perfection! Love the combination of flavors here. Wish I was enjoying a thick slice of this right now.
Great idea!
mexican taco meatloaf… now i’ve heard it all. you know i love me some meatloaf- truly one of my favorite things! i would have stopped and bought those crumbs too- cool!
Millicent says
Cheryl ~
I just want to say thanks for all Your effort. You ROCK Girl!!! I’ve changed my eating habits this past year to predominately vegan and gluten free. Needless to say, I’m Always on the look out for something new and innovative. Your suggestions are truly a Blessing. Even though I’m not eating meat, I did have a BBQ and used Your recipe for BBQ Lamp Chops…that were a hit! Great Big Hug and keep up the Wonderful work. Warm regard as always,
Mil