Food Trucks. They’re outside your office building, at the local park, setting up shop in the farmer’s market parking lot–you can find them everywhere these days. There are even Food Truck parks, specifically set aside for these creative and tasty kitchens on wheels. The variety, the creativity, and let’s be honest–the dedication of the owners–is something to behold. Whenever you pull up somewhere and see a line-up like this, you just know you’re getting ready for some tasty morsels.
Last year, we were looking in the paper for something fun to do for the weekend and stumbled across a Chili Cook-Off. Even though it was raining, we decided that good weather wasn’t a prerequisite for drinking beer and eating chili. When we arrived, we realized that we’d stumbled upon a fun establishment that would become one of our regular hang outs–Random. Yup, that’s the name. It’s a great local establishment that, while serving awesome craft beers and offering super outdoor settings and fun for the whole family, doesn’t have a kitchen of their own. Instead, they host a rotating list of food trucks to serve the hungry masses.
That’s where we befriended the owners of one particular truck, Hippie Mommas. Their tag line ,“Comfort Food With Attitude”, is spot on. I admit that I love that their brand of food truck food is to rotate their menu based on customer feedback, seasonal food, and basically do what they want. It’s always an adventure to see what they have on the menu week to week. Everything from simple and delicious lunch fare, like this Turkey BLT with Pasta Salad (and a beer to wash it down, thank you very much!),
to creative items like Redneck Sushi. No, seriously. There’s bacon and gooey cheese in this version. Dang.
When I caught up with them at a recent location (they, like may other food trucks, move around day to day) I told them to surprise me. And DANG, I fell in love with what wound up on my lunch plate. They were serving a Southwest Meatloaf Sandwich. Whoa. Moist, flavorful, and a little kick–it was perfect for that particularly windy and chilly Texas day. Of course, I begged for the recipe! Instead, they challenged me to try my own hand at it and then they’d let me in on their secret.
Challenge accepted!
I headed home and got to work on trying to recreate this meatloaf that is the thing dreams are made of. Well, maybe not dreams. If I’m dreaming about meatloaf, I’m sure there are far too many comments to be made about my subconscious… While I admit that I didn’t hit their recipe on the mark I DID create a new favorite. This Southwest Meatloaf is filled with big flavors. And it’s so easy you can probably toss it together without so much as a trip to the grocery store. And the best part? Leftovers are even better!
Now I have to start stalking their truck again so that I can get another taste of their version! Watch out, Hippie Mommas–I’m comin’ for that recipe!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 people | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 1 hour |
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Like oh-so-many of my recipes, I love that I can vary the ingredients based on what I may have on hand. In this case, I decided to try and make the meatloaf a tad bit healthier than some by using ground turkey in the mix. Low in fat, and still filled with flavor, the turkey adds a nice, moist element to the dish. And if you like more spice, add it! Completely adaptable based on your palate. Be sure to make more than you think you'll need--those leftovers make awesome sandwiches, too!
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- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1 can Rotel, drained
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 medium egg
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom of a loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Add the Rotel, corn and green onions to ground meat. Also add cumin, chili powder and garlic powder.
- Add egg and breadcrumbs to mixture.
- Using your hands (it's the best tool for the job!), mix to incorporate all ingredients into the ground meat. Be sure not to over work the mixture as that can cause the final product to be tough. Mix only until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Place mixture into cooking spray-coated loaf pan. Make sure top is patted to a level consistency. This will ensure even cooking.
- Mix ketchup and Worcestershire sauce in small bowl.
- Spread ketchup mixture evenly over the top of the ground meat mixture.
- Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour, or until the meat begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and the sauce has created a glaze on top of the meat. Serve immediately and enjoy a burst of Southwest flavors!
You will SO want leftovers after making this recipe. A heated slice of this Southwest Meatloaf atop a toasted bun and topped with a slice of provolone cheese will make your lunch so much better than everyone else around you! Some other uses for this flavorful leftover meatloaf include:
- Crumble and use it to top nachos
- Slice it into 1" cubes, place a toothpick in the top of each, and serve as appetizers
- Mix it into omelets or other egg dishes
Thank goodness for the mind of a food truck owner, giving me such inspiration for a versatile and crave-able meatloaf recipe!
Oh wow, this looks soooo good! That food truck area sounds so much fun too!
It’s way too much fun! My husband said during our last visit, “This is a happy place”. Perfectly put. :o)
Where I am in Canada, we are seriously lacking in food trucks. But you have shown me with this awesome meat loaf that there is no need to visit the trucks 🙂
It’s been forever since I’ve had a good meat loaf – will have to break the streak and try this 😀
This was so darned tasty! And like I said, the leftovers were even better. :o)
My husband loves himself some meatloaf. I think meatloaf can be rather boring, but this recipe would definitely keep my interest!
Nothing boring about this version! Hope your husband enjoys it!
I love meatloaf and this southwestern spin looks fantastic! I also love food trucks and you are right about the dedication it takes to run one. I admire those chefs!
The folks who do this for a living are committed, creative, and according to one I know “living the dream”. Not fancy or rich, but dedicated and loyal to their customers. I love it!
I love this spicy spin on meatloaf!
This is my idea of perfect comfort food. Even if you didn’t re-make the meatloaf you tasted (and that inspired you), I’d be glad to have your version anytime.
It really is one of the original comfort foods, I think. I think most folks immediately are taken back to what their mom made, and just settle in for nostalgia and comfort. :o)