Homemade meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food! My mini meatloaf recipe is simple to prepare and great for a quick fix dinner idea!
Best Meatloaf Recipe
I love making homemade meatloaf. It reminds me of dinner at my grandma’s home. It’s such great comfort food. My mini meatloaves are simple to prepare and are so perfect for dinner any night of the week!
Be sure to try my Cowboy Burgers too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.
What You’ll Need
- lean ground beef- Use 80% lean or higher.
- large eggs– For consistency I use large eggs in my cooking and baking.
- milk– 2% works great.
- mustard– Yellow or Dijon mustard is just fine.
- fresh garlic– You can mince your own fresh garlic or use the minced garlic sold in jars near the produce section of the grocery store.
- grated parmesan cheese- Check near the nicer cheeses for fresh grated Parmesan Cheese.
- bread crumbs– Use traditional bread crumbs or Panko.
- kosher salt– Kosher salt is a coarse salt commonly used in cooking and baking.
- fresh cracked black pepper– For best results use freshly cracked black pepper.
- Tabasco sauce– You can use your favorite hot sauce. Tabasco or Cholula are good.
- ketchup– Ketchup gets added to the top of each meatloaf before baking.
- bacon– Bacon gets topped over each meatloaf before baking.
How To Make Homemade Meatloaf
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Gently combine all ingredients except the bacon with large spoon or hands into a large bowl until just combined.
- Divide meat mixture into 6 equal parts and form into 6 mini loaves. Place onto a baking sheet. Lightly brush tops with ketchup and top each with 2 bacon halves.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Form mixed meat mixture into 6 mini loaves. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly brush tops with ketchup and top each with 2 bacon halves. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.
How Can I Make One Classic Meatloaf instead of Mini?
If you want to make one large meatloaf shape meat mixture into one large loaf, brush with ketchup and top with bacon. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until baked through.
How To Serve
Serve mini meatloaves warm with a side of roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes or side salad.
How To Store Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat as needed.
Mini Meatloaf Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
- large mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon mustard
- 3 cloves fresh garlic
- ½ Cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ Cup fresh bread crumbs you can use the ones you get at the grocery store too
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- ¼ Cup ketchup
- 6 strips ready bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Gently combine all ingredients except the bacon with large spoon or hands into a large bowl until just combined. Divide meat mixture into 6 equal parts and form into 6 mini loaves. Place onto a baking sheet. Lightly brush tops with ketchup and top each with 2 bacon halves. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
I made the cookies last night…my family LOVED them! Thanks for the recipe!!
Hello Jenny! 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe! My 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 year olds ate it up quickly and asked for more! Woo hoo! 🙂 One question, what temperature for the meatloaf? I made it tonight but had to cook it forever (I guessed 375)! Oh, and I accidentally mixed ketchup IN the meatloaf since I didn’t see the only brush it on top comment until now! Oh well!
I made these last night with my daughter- they were a big hit! Fun to make, too.
Hi Brooke,
The ketchup gets brushed on top, not mixed inside with the meat. Hope you enjoy!!
That meatloaf looks so yummy. One question – do you mix the 1/4 cup ketchup with the meatloaf, and then put additional ketchup on top? Or do you use the 1/4 cup ketchup to top them? Thanks!
You are so going to win. Count wait to see you on food network. How do you think your mini meat loaves would do with ground turkey?
They whole meal looks delicious! And of course I had to vote for you since your blog is the best!
Those potatoes look beautiful! And I voted for you – you’re blowing away he competition.
It all looks so delicious! I will try those mini meatloaves for sure. I’m always looking for dinner ideas and you always have some awesome ones!
BTW, I did vote for you! I think I left you a message on FB about it..
Hi, congratulations on your nomination!
I made the meatloaf last night and it was fabulous! The fresh garlic was perfect in it. My picky eaters loved it. Thank you.
I voted for you before I even read this!
Those potatoes are so cute and it looks like a meal my husband would love. I’ll have to try the cookies, too- yum!
Your cookies look amazing! I just made ice cream with toffee bits and it was delish. I’m sure the kids will be head over heels in love with the cookies too.
Congratulations on your nomination!
Voted for you – good luck!
Of course I voted for you!! You’re doing awesome. Congrats!
All three of these recipes look wonderful! I went and voted and it looks like you have the award in the bag-over 74% of the votes! Woohoo!
Meatloaf, potatoes and cookies…can’t get much better than that combo! Those are sweet little potatoes….I’ve never seen them around here-so will use the recipe with cut up potatoes.
I just went and voted for ya…hope your blog wins! 🙂
Meatloaf is the perfect comfort food on cold days! Good luck with the contest.
I voted already! 🙂
Those cookies look like another winner! Love the mini meatloaves, too… great idea to do individual servings.
What great comfort food.I hope your blog wins.
Congrats, and I definitely will be putting in a vote. Oh wow, the meatloaf and potatoes looks so comforting.
Those cookies sound lovely. Buttercotch chips are a fav of my husbands. I will so have to try them. Congrats on your nomination. I have to go vote now!
Good luck Jenny, you allready have my vote. Yummy meal and cookies!
You are well ahead right now. I’ll vote again if it lets me. 😉 Those cookies look wicked good, I’m going to have to try them out.
Looks delicious! Off to bookmark those cookies for future use.
And I voted 🙂
These all look great! Cute potatoes!! I’ll definately vote for you!
What a great meal! Congrats, you got my vote! Looks like you are way ahead. Goodluck!
Those potatos look soo good! Very earthy…remind me of summer backyard bbq’s…and you got my vote 🙂
Congratulations on the nomination! Loving those cookies. Those could do some serious damage to my diet. 🙂
those potatos and cookies look great!
i will make sure to vote!
I voted once, can you vote more than once?
Great looking M & T dinner! And yum to the cookie. I just posted a similar one, with cinnamon chips and white choc. chips.
How fun that you got to go home!
Congrats! I will go vote. So much yummy food here! I especially love the cookies. All my favorite flavors are there!