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ByJamie Sanders
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Mini Meatloaves in a muffin tin? Yes, Please! These Mini Meatloaf Muffins are a fun and delicious alternative to regular meatloaf.
Baking the meatloaf in a muffin tin shortens the cooking time and is always a hit with the kids!
Jump to…
- Why these Mini Meatloaf Muffins Work
- Ingredients + Notes
- How To Make Meatloaf Muffins
- Recipe Tips and Variations
- FAQ’s
- Favorite Sides to Serve With Mini Meatloaves
- Recipe Card
Why Meatloaf Muffins are a Must Make!
- You can cook just about anything in a muffin tin, and it will be asuccess.
- I especially love this recipebecauseit is so easy andflexible.
- I can hide whatever veggies I have on hand and get no complaints!
- Meatloaf muffins are perfect when you don’t have much time to cook, as the cooking time is much shorter than that of regular meatloaf.
If you haven’t tried your meatloaf in a muffin tin yet, you really should!You can use your favorite meatloaf recipe; just use the cooking time below. My recipe is pretty darn yummy, too!
Ingredients in Meatloaf Muffins + Notes
Ingredients at a glance, find the full printable recipe at the bottom of the post.
- Ground Beef | Use lower-fat ground beef if you can. The less fat in the beef, the less fat will end up in the muffin pan wells. Ground turkey works fine, too.
- Oatmeal | Oatmeal helps to bind the meat and other add-ins together. You can use bread crumbs in a pinch, but I prefer the texture the oats give to the meatloaf muffins.
- Egg | Large (works with the oats or breadcrumbs as a binder to help hold the meatloaf together.
- Tomato Sauce | For flavor. Instead of the tomato sauce, I often substitute the tomato sauce with +/- 1/4 cup of ketchup in the meat mixture and at least another 1/4 cup for the top. Personal choice to use the ketchup vs tomato sauce I do prefer the taste of ketchup – probably due to the added sugar.
- Parmesancheese | For flavor. Use whatever kind you have on hand.
- Seasonings | Garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper
- Optional | A couple of handfuls of whatever other veggies you have on hand. (onions, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, spinach, lentils…)
How To Make Meatloaf Muffins
1 Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Mix the ingredients together: Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, but only use about ¼ of the tomato sauce/ketchup in the meat mixture. Reserve the rest for the tops of the meatloaf muffins.
3 Add the meatloaf to the muffin tin: Press the meat into the muffin cups (you should be able to get eight to 10 out of this amount of meat). Top with a dollop of tomato sauce/ketchup on each one.
4 Bake: Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t forget the spray your muffin man, especially if using turkey or very low fat ground beef.
- Use low-fat ground beef. This will help keep your muffins from swimming in fat in the muffin tin and also help them come out in a nice shape. (They won’t shrink up quite as much.) Ground beef containing a higher percentage of fat will shrink up more because the fat will cook out, leaving less meatloaf muffin.)
- Don’t leave out the Worcestershire sauce. It really adds a nice depth of flavor to the meatloaf muffins.
- I’ve made this meatloaf muffin recipe so many times and in so many ways that I can tell you that oats instead of breadcrumbs are the way to go.
Variations on this Meatloaf in a Muffin Tin Recipe
- Use barbecue sauce instead of ketchup.
- Like a bit of kick to your food? Add some red pepper flakes.
- Ground turkey can be substituted for ground beef. (Cook time is the same, but use your meat thermometer and make sure the center temperature registers to 165 F for poultry.)
- Slice the mini meatloaves in half and serve as meatloaf sliders.
- I love to hide veggies in my meatloaf, such as lentils, carrots, mushrooms, etc. (I just dice the veggies into fine pieces.)
FAQ’s
Can Muffin Tin Meatloaf be Frozen?
Yes, Of course, you can freeze these Meatloaf Muffins!
Follow the recipe as specified and let the mini meatloaves cool. Add to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. You can either reheat in the microwave (at about a minute per muffin) or all at once in the oven for about 20 minutes. (Use a thermometer to make sure the muffins are fully warm in the center.)
Can this Recipe be Doubled?
Yes, this meatloaf muffin recipe is the perfect recipe for doubling. I often make a double batch to freeze for later.
How Long Do I Cook Meatloaf Muffins?
As I mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of meatloaf muffins over a traditional meatloaf recipe is the faster cooking time. I cook these mini meatloaves for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. I do recommend a meat thermometer to ensure your muffins are cooked completely. (They are done when the center reaches 160 degrees F.)
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Favorite Sides to Serve With Mini Meatloaves
- Loaded Mashed Potato Bake
- Parmesan Ranch Baked Potato Wedges
- Roasted Baby Carrots
- Corn On The Cob In The Microwave
- Baked Potato Mac And Cheese
Let us Know What You Think!
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. If you share an image on Instagram or Facebook, be sure to tag me and use #scatteredmomrecipes!
Mini Meatloaf in a Muffin Tin Recipe
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 52 reviews
- Author: Jamie Sanders
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 35 min
- Yield: 10 to 12 meatloaf muffins 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american
Description
Meatloaf Muffins are a fabulous alternative to regular meatloaf. Kids just love them and mini meatloaf muffins cook much faster than traditional meatloaf.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs or oatmeal (Either works, but I now use oatmeal)
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (Instead of the tomato sauce, I often substitute with around 1/4 cup of ketchup in the meat mixture and at least another 1/4 cup for the top. Personal choice to use the ketchup vs tomato sauce I do prefer the taste of ketchup – must be the added sugar.)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- several shakes of Worcestershire sauce (about a teaspoon)
- A couple of handfuls of whatever other veggies you have on hand… (onions, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, spinach, lentils…)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, but only use about ¼ of the tomato sauce/ketchup in the meat mixture. Reserve the rest for the tops of the meatloaf muffins.
- Press the meat into the muffin cups (you should be able to get eight to 10 out of this amount of meat).
- Top with a dollop of tomato sauce/ketchup on each one.
- Cook for 30-35 minutes.
- Serve two per person.
Notes
Nutritional Info: Using 1 egg,93/7 Ground Turkey, 1/2 cup of ketchup and dividing into 10 meatloaf muffins, the calorie count is about 110 per muffin. (Pretty good if you ask me!)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 meatloaf muffins
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 6
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 9
- Protein: 22
Looking for other kid-favorite recipes? You might also like:
Beef and Black Bean Empanadas
Peanut Sesame Noodles
Southwest Chicken Pizza
And don’t forget dessert: S’mores on a Stick
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