Mini Meatloaf
This easy Mini Meatloaf recipe can be made on a sheet pan or in muffin tins for a perfect portion-sized family dinner!
Servings: 4 mini meatloafs
Calories: 359kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup yellow onion diced
- ¼ cup bell pepper diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon BBQ Sauce
- ½ Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup crushed Ritz or Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 pound ground beef 85% lean
Glaze:
- ½ cup ketchup plus more for serving
- ½ cup BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Sauté the vegetables: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onions and peppers for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Remove and let cool.
- Combine Wet ingredients: Whisk together the egg, milk, mustard, ketchup, BBQ Sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients: Stir in the Ritz crackers, then add the cooled onions/peppers/garlic. Add the ground beef and gently mix until just combined. Don’t overwork the meat or it will become tough.
- Form into loaves: Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal parts and mold them into 5-inch loaves. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (preferably a sheet that has raised edges to avoid overflow from drippings.) Combine the glaze ingredients and brush half of it over the meatloaf.
- Bake Once/Remove Grease: Bake for 25 minutes and carefully remove it from the oven, there will be grease to remove. To do this, carefully transfer each meatloaf to a new parchment paper lined baking sheet using a spatula. OR, transfer to a plate and replace the original baking sheet with new parchment paper. (See PRO tips in notes section for an alternative method of handling the grease.)
- Bake Twice: Brush remaining glaze on top of the meatloaf. Bake for 15 more minutes, the internal temperature should be 160 degrees.
- Serve: I like to brush a little more ketchup on top prior to serving. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans or roasted carrots. It's also great with my one pot garlic butter pasta.
Notes
Doubling the Recipe:
This recipe is easy to double in case you’d like to have a second helping or leftovers to refrigerate or freeze:
PRO TIP: A trick for catching the grease:
Make-Ahead Method:
Meatloaf Muffins
- Tap or hover over the number of servings at the top of the recipe card and slide the lever right to increase the number of servings. The ingredient quantities will automatically update.
PRO TIP: A trick for catching the grease:
- Place fresh bread underneath each loaf to absorb the grease as it cooks.
Make-Ahead Method:
- Mold meatloaf as instructed, cover with saran wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, then bake as outlined.
- You can also freeze the uncooked meatloaf. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to serve and bake as outlined.
Meatloaf Muffins
- If preferred, the meat mixture can be added to 8 muffin tins.
- Bake for a total of 25 minutes.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes in the muffin tins prior to serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 1431mg | Potassium: 570mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 805IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 2mg