Most of us have fond memories of meatloaf on our childhood dinner tables, but it rarely appears on weekday menus these days because a full-sized meatloaf typically requires a long baking time. This mini meatloaf recipe utilizes a muffin tin, allowing each individual loaf to cook in a fraction of the time. Kids love that they’re like a cross between meatloaf and burgers and they get their own. Leftovers can go in a school lunchbox as a slider or be broken up with leftover sauce and pasta and a kind-of deconstructed spaghetti and meatballs.
Ingredients
1 large onion, peeled
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3–4 lb. (1.3-1.8 kg) ground beef, or a mix of beef and pork
1 cup (250 ml) bread crumbs or 1/2 cup crushed crackers or quick oats
1 cup (250 ml) tomato sauce or ketchup plus extra for brushing
2 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grate the onion on the coarse side of a box grater. Put the beef (or beef and pork) in a bowl and add the onion, garlic, bread crumbs, tomato sauce or ketchup, eggs, salt and pepper and mix with your hands just until combined. Don’t overwork it, or your meatloaves will wind up tough.
Divide the mixture between 12 muffin cups and brush the tops with ketchup. Bake for 20 minutes, until just cooked through. Serve immediately. Cool extras and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or wrap well and freeze for up to 6 months.
Makes about 12 mini meatloaves.
Per Mini Meat loaf:
107 calories, 3.2 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat, 0.3 g polyunsaturated fat, 1.5 g monounsaturated fat), 13.5 g protein, 4.4 g carbohydrates, 54 mg cholesterol, 0.4 g fibre.
Originally published in April 2011.
