A Nourishing Feast: Mini Meatloaves Recipe 

Mini meatloaves recipe is a classical, traditional American taste which makes your weeknights comfortable and relaxing. It is one of my most tested and tried recipe as I have tried to make Italian, Greek and Asian mini meatloaves in the previous few months and all variations came out superb. This highly nutritious non veg dish is a fantastic combo of meat and grains.

Mini Meatloaves: My Personal Favorite 

The reason behind this much experience is nothing but the ease with which these mini meatloaves are made. The base of these loaves is really an innocent one. Common simple kitchen ingredients are used in it. Moreover, the preparation time is almost nothing. A bit of saute is required in it and that too is only for enhancing the flavor. Rest of the task is done by your oven. So when mini meatloaves’ preparation and making doesn’t tire me then I take courage to do experiments with its other modifications. 

Why This Recipe? 

Here in this recipe you will find all the tips and secrets to make juicy, aromatic mini meatloaves. Different options in the base making and also in the sauce making will also be shared with you. I am sure you will consider this cute toy-like stuff as a main course in your next party and the same recipe will be a part of your weekly menu as it’s of mine. Another enticing main course taste is Hearty Hobo Casserole Recipe. A must check!

Why is this Recipe Made in Miniature? 

Mini meatloaves are mini because after baking the loaves in the shape of a ball, they are cut into slices and look like mini loaves. They are also called mini meatloaves because in ingredients the main two ingredients are 1. Beef , 2. Crumbs; both have the base of a loaf. Moreover, this mini style is the real beauty of this recipe. 

Ingredients’ Notes 

• Beef 

Beef is the main and basic ingredient of mini meatloaves recipe. Those who don’t like the taste of beef, may try the meat of turkey. But the typical taste and texture is achieved by using the beef. Due to this ingredient, its nutrition level gets high. 

• Breadcrumbs 

Without grains there is no concept of loaves. There are mainly three options to opt one of them as the flour content in this recipe. Most commonly used option is breadcrumbs as they are easily available and soft enough to be well adjusted with beef. But some people love to create a crunch in the mini meatloaves. For them the crackers are a better option. Just press them in the packet and the crumbs will be there for you. Some people also use easy-cooking oats. That too is a good option but the tenderness of meatloaves is slightly affected with oats. I always prefer breadcrumbs. Homemade breadcrumbs how-to-make-bread-crumbs are the best option.

• Onion and Garlic 

The addition of onion and garlic in mini meatloaves is another reason for its unique aroma and deep flavor. Both these vegetables cum herbs are very special in their aroma  and taste. In addition to it, we also saute them before adding them to the beef. There is a drastic difference between their addition in raw form and in sauteed form. 

Ingredients with Quantities 

For Meatloaves

• 1 pound ground beef  
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs/ cracker crumbs/ quick cooking oats 
• 1 light beaten egg 
• ⅓ cup of milk 
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped 
• 1 tbsp of garlic paste 
• 1 tsp of salt 
• 1 tsp of black pepper powder 
• 1 tsp of thyme 
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

For Sauce 

• ⅔ cup of ketchup 
• ¼ cup of brown sugar 
• 1 ½ tsp of prepared mustard 

What You Need to Do… 

• Step 1 Sauteing 

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a pan and add onions in it. Fry it for about one minute. Then add garlic paste and saute for another 30 seconds. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper. After a few seconds remove the pan from the flame. A little saute adds up to the aroma of mini meatloaves to the double. 

• Step 2 Combining 

In a large bowl beat an egg. Then add milk in it. Also add beef and then breadcrumbs, salt, black pepper powder, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. At this point you have to use your hands for mixing as combining beef with breadcrumbs and other seasoning is a bit hard. Forks and spoons can’t handle this mixing in a desired manner. 

• Step 3 Mixing

After mixing beef with other ingredients, add the fried onion and garlic with the beed and mix again. 

• Step 4 Shaping

Now comes the stage of shaping the mini meatloaves. They can be baked in a muffin tray as it’s easy to shape them in this way. If you want to give it another loose shape you may place a ball quantity in a baking tray and set it in an oval shape with your hands. Make other loaves in the same way. Don’t forget to grease the tray. 

• Step 5 Baking

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes. 

• Step 6 Sauce Preparation

During baking, consume your time in sauce preparation. It is really simple. Just combine all the three ingredients of the sauce (ketchup, brown sugar and mustard) and mix well with a spoon. And your sauce is ready. 

• Step 7 Applying Sauce

Bring out the baking tray from the oven. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Then pour the sauce on the surface of the mini meatloaves. The pouring quantity of the sauce depends on you. Some people just bruh the sauce on the surface of mini meatloaves. Some add an extra amount that flows down from the edges. I pour a little amount and the rest of the sauce is served with the final presentation of meatloaves. 

Now after applying the sauce on the surface, place the baking tray in the oven once again for about 10 more minutes. 

• Step 8 Serving

Your mini meatloaves recipe is ready. Leave the loaves in the tray for 5 minutes. Do cover them with aluminum, foil to keep the steam inside and avoid dryness in the texture. after 5 minutes remove the foil, cut each meatloaf into slices. Set the slices according to your chosen pattern. Serve with the remaining sauce. 

Garnishing and Serving Options

• The best addition in garnishing is to add cheddar cheese on the surface of mini meatloaves and keep it in oven for 2 minutes.
• The dribbly sauce and cheese create a mouth watering scenario.
• Most of the times it is served with ,mashed potatoes. but vegetable salad, white rice and French fries are also considerable options.

Tips for Success 

There are some recipes which are 90% above successful as they are not very sensitive. But mini meatloaves is a delicate recipe which can challenge you in taste, aroma and tenderness. So here are some tips to ensure its success. 

1. Don’t add raw onion and garlic to the beef. Though it will be cooked while baking but prior sauteing will really do a magic with the taste. 
2. Mix the beef with other ingredients by using your hands. It will help in combing the agents well softly. There are also crumbs with the beef so a good mixing is required. 
3. Some people keep the ingredients of mini meatloaves very limited. They don’t use onion, garlic and theme. In the absence of these ingredients, the taste feels raw and undone. 
4. If you follow all the given quantities of ingredients of this recipe and also follow all the steps accurately, believe me you will find the best juicy, tender and aromatic mini meatloaves ever. 

Conclusion 

You might have tried many mini meatloaves recipes and I am sure most of them were dry and dull. I know it is tricky to make your mini loaves soft and tender. Try these tips which I have shared with you and you will definitely love to pat me on the shoulder.

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