Muffin Tin Meatloaf recipe makes a perfect meal for busy weeknights, loaded with all the great savory flavors you might expect. And they are tiny and cute and topped with Mashed Potatoes. A fun family recipe that makes great leftovers too.
Meatloaf is a classic easy dinner recipe, but now we're making meatloaf cute AND fancy!
We love meatloaf on a busy night, it's delicious comfort food, but I love that it can also be healthy.
This Mini Meatloaf recipe takes the classic recipe to the next level, giving you cute meatloaves that are perfect for a fun weeknight dinner, a fancy dinner party, a potluck, or even as a handy party appetizer!
Topped with Mashed Potatoes, some French Fried Onions, and a drizzle of sweet and tangy sauce, this dish is packed with flavor too.
For more ways of cooking meatloaf, check out my Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf, this Easy Instant Pot Meatloaf, and this Stovetop Meatloaf!
Muffin Tin Meatloaf recipe is loosely inspired from Savory Experiments
Ingredients Needed for Muffin Tin Meatloaf
- Beef. Use good quality lean Ground Beef for the best flavor.
- Pork. A lean Ground Pork will work best.
- Crackers. I love using Ritz Crackers in this recipe.
- Milk. Any kind of milk will be fine here. Either whole milk, lower-fat milk, or non-dairy milk is fine.
- Ketchup. Use your favorite brand of ketchup for the meatloaf and for the base of the sauce on top.
- Eggs. Use an egg to bind all the ingredients together.
- Onion. Adds a great savory depth of flavor to the meatloaf muffins.
- Seasoning. Use Salt, Black Pepper, and an Italian Seasoning mix to flavor the meat mixture.
- BBQ Sauce. I've used honey BBQ sauce to add a bit of extra sweetness to the sauce.
- Dijon Mustard. This will add a punch of tangy flavor to the sauce.
- French Fried Onions. To garnish the top of the mashed potatoes!
How to Make Muffin Tin Meatloaf
Make Mini Meatloaves
In a large mixing bowl or use the large bowl of a Stand Mixer, combine ground Beef, crushed Ritz Crackers, Milk, Ketchup, Eggs, finely diced Onions, Salt, Pepper, and Italian Seasonings.
Combine the ingredients together. You can do this just with your hands if you prefer, but a stand mixer or hand mixer will work too.
Carefully portion the meatloaf mixture into 12 equal-sized parts and roll to shape the mixture into balls.
Place 1 ball into each muffin tin section to bake.
Meatloaf Sauce
In a small bowl combine Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, and Mustard together.
Carefully brush a heaping tablespoon full of sauce over each mini meatloaf.
Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 20-25 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 160 F Degrees.
Mashed Potatoes
Follow the directions on boxed mashed potatoes by adding water and butter and combining them together.
Place cooled mashed potatoes into a Ziploc Bag with the corner snipped off, or put the potatoes in a piping bag and pipe them on top of each mini meatloaf.
Bake or broil in the oven for 2-3 minutes to toast edges and heat through.
Garnish with French Fried Onions and a drizzle of the reserved sauce.
Storage & Freezing
Storage: Store leftover meatloaf muffins in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave until piping hot.
Freezing: You can freeze the individual meatloaves without the mashed potatoes or toppings for up to 3 months. Simply make your mini meatloaves in the standard muffin pan and flash-freeze them for 30 minutes. Once frozen, you can wrap each loaf in plastic wrap or parchment paper and store them in freezer bags or a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator then cook as normal.
Substitutions & Variations
- Crackers. Use Garden Veggie Ritz Crackers instead of Plain Ritz Crackers, or use bread crumbs to add more substance to the meatballs.
- Milk. You can use any kind of liquid here instead of Milk. I've used Salsa before and it really adds to the sweet tomato flavor, but you could use beef broth or chicken broth if you like.
- Veggies. Add in some finely chopped veggies, or top the mashed potatoes with finely chopped cooked veggies like green pepper, carrots, or broccoli!
- Flavor. You can change the flavors in this recipe by adding in some Worcestershire Sauce, using your favorite kind of barbecue sauce, adding in some liquid smoke, dried or fresh herbs, or even some hot sauce for a bit of added spice!
- Garnish. I've used French Fried Onions in this recipe to garnish my meatloaf cups, but you can use dried or fresh herbs, chopped green onions, or even crispy bacon bits!
Pro Tips
- Lightly grease the muffin pan with a dash of olive oil or a non-stick cooking spray if you like.
- Use muffin cups or cases in the muffin tin to make them easy to pick up if you prefer.
- Check the temperature of the mini meatloaves to make sure they have been thoroughly cooked before serving them. Use an internal meat thermometer to do this.
Have you tried this Muffin Tin Meatloaf recipe?
Please leave a comment below if you have tried making this recipe. I love to hear from you and enjoy reading about what you think. Be sure to tag @devourdinner when posting to social media. I can't wait to see your photos!
More Delicious Recipes for Handy Finger Foods
- Air Fryer Bagel Bites
- Cheese Stuffed Breadsticks
- Meat and Cheese Charcuterie Board
- Taco Dip with Meat
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Lil' Smokies Pigs in Blankets
- Garlic Parmesan Cheese Baked Chicken Wings
Muffin Tin Meatloaf
Ingredients
Mini Meatloaf Muffins
- 1 pound Ground Beef 90/10 - lean
- ½ pound Ground Pork
- 1 tube Ritz Crackers - Crushed
- ½ cup Milk
- ½ cup Ketchup
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Onion
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
Sauce
- ½ cup Ketchup
- ½ cup Honey BBQ Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Instructions
Make Mini Meatloaves
- In a large mixing bowl or use the large bowl of a Stand Mixer, combine ground Beef, crushed Ritz Crackers, Milk, Ketchup, Eggs, finely diced Onions, Salt, Pepper, and Italian Seasonings.
- Combine the ingredients together. You can do this just with your hands if you prefer, but a stand mixer or hand mixer will work too.
- Carefully portion the meatloaf mixture into 12 equal-sized parts and roll to shape the mixture into balls.
- Place 1 ball into each muffin tin section to bake.
Meatloaf Sauce
- In a small bowl combine Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, and Mustard together. Carefully brush a heaping tablespoon full of sauce over each mini meatloaf.
- Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 20-25 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 160 F Degrees.
Mashed Potatoes
- Follow the directions on boxed mashed potatoes by adding water and butter and combining them together.
- Place cooled mashed potatoes into a Ziploc Bag with the corner snipped off, or put the potatoes in a piping bag and pipe them on top of each mini meatloaf.
- Bake or broil in the oven for 2-3 minutes to toast edges and heat through.
- Garnish with French Fried Onions and a drizzle of the reserved sauce.
Notes
- ½ cup Bacon Crumbles
- ½ cup Diced Celery
- ½ cup Diced Bell Pepper
- Store: Store leftover meatloaf muffins in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave until piping hot.
- Freezing: You can freeze the individual meatloaves without the mashed potatoes or toppings for up to 3 months. Simply make your mini meatloaves in the standard muffin pan and flash-freeze them for 30 minutes. Once frozen, you can wrap each loaf in plastic wrap or parchment paper and store them in freezer bags or a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator then cook as normal.
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
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