Food and Recipes Dinner Mini Meatloaves 5.0 (1) 1 Review For a faster meatloaf night, make them mini. By Elizabeth Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh Elizabeth Mervosh is a recipe tester and developer for the Meredith Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama and tests and develops recipes for brands including Southern Living, Real Simple, Food & Wine, People, and Health. She received her bachelor's degree in political science from American University in Washington, D.C. After university, she dipped her toes in the restaurant industry and never looked back. She completed her culinary degree at The Culinary Institute of America. Elizabeth has been a part of the Meredith Food Studios since 2017. Prior to that, she cooked in restaurants in New Orleans, Charleston, and Chicago. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 21, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 40 mins Servings: 4 These mini meatloaves are not your mother’s meatloaf. If you’ve come to understand meatloaf as dry, tough, and lackluster, this recipe will change your mind about the American classic. We skip the lean ground beef and opt for an 85/15 mix to ensure there’s enough fat (flavor) in the mixture. We also use garlic, chopped fresh thyme, and Worcestershire sauce to season the meat thoroughly throughout. Instead of using a bread pan or shaping the mixture on a sheet pan, we baked it in a muffin tray in smaller individual portions. This way the meatloaves brown beautifully without drying out, which often plagues larger loaves. For faster cleanup, place paper liners in the muffin tray before adding the meat mixture. The finishing touch is the tangy sauce on top. The ketchup and brown sugar mixture reduces to a slightly sweet and sticky glaze. Served over mashed sweet potatoes, and alongside our easy Buttery Peas (recipe below), no one at the dinner table is going to complain about eating meatloaf for dinner. Ingredients 1 large egg 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs 1/2 cup half-and-half 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme 2 tsp. kosher salt 3 garlic cloves, grated (about 1 tsp.) 1/2 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. ketchup, divided 2 lb. 85 /15 lean ground beef 2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar Directions Make meatloaf mixture: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tray with cooking spray. Stir together egg, panko, half-and-half, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the ketchup in a medium bowl. Let stand 5 minutes to moisten. Add ground beef to panko mixture; gently but thoroughly mix together using your hands. Shape meatloaves: Scoop a heaping 1/3 cup beef mixture into each prepared muffin well, and flatten tops. Stir together sugar and remaining 1/2 cup ketchup in a bowl until combined. Gently spread 2 teaspoons ketchup mixture over each meatloaf. Bake mini meatloaves: Bake in preheated oven until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of one meatloaf registers 160°F, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Buttery Peas. Buttery Peas Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in 2 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen green peas, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 2 tsp. grated lemon zest. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh chives, 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and 3/4 tsp. kosher salt. ACTIVE 10 MIN. - TOTAL 10 MIN. - SERVES 4 Rate It Print