Meatloaf Muffins

Your favorite comfort food is turned into three-bite single serve size with these Meatloaf Muffins.

close up of a meatloaf muffin


 

Did you have a favorite meal growing up? I feel like meatloaf is one of those classic recipes that everyone loves. However, I was not a fan of meatloaf until later in life. Gasp. 

I used to think of it as just a weird brick of ground beef; but once I started experimenting with my own versions of meatloaf, it became a dish that I absolutely love!

meatloaf muffin on a plate

Why Make Meatloaf Muffins?

I know what you are thinking, why mess with a good thing? I’m not messing with it, I’m just modifying the shape slightly.

When you think about it, there isn’t really a standard meatloaf recipe anyhow. The flavor variations are endless, so why not make the shape fun too?

You can even stuff it with cheese and extra vegetables like my Stuffed Meatloaf or make my French Onion Meatloaf into muffins.

serving mini meatloafs

What You Need

Meatloaf is a great way to use up odds and ends, the recipe itself is forgiving, so feel free to add more or less and even omit.

  • MeatThis meatloaf recipe calls for a ground meatloaf mix, (pork, beef and veal) but you can use turkey, ground chicken or just ground beef. The biggest trick is to not go too low fat. Fat helps is congeal and also provides flavor.
  • Olive oil- Just to sweat the veggies and keep them from sticking, feel free to use any neutral oil or butter.
  • Onion, Celery and Carrot– Often called the holy trinity, it is the flavor base for countless recipes.
  • Dried parsley- I generally don’t use dried parsley, it doesn’t have an extreme flavor profile, but in this case I also didn’t want to introduce anything else that had moisture. Instead, it serves the purpose of soaking up releasing moisture while the blend cooks.
  • Garlic– fresh garlic will give a true garlic zing, while bottled garlic a sweet taste.
  • Sauce– Made of ketchup, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce it adds an acidic punch and helps to further tenderize the meat. Add grape jelly and you also have a banging topping that tastes like Grape Jelly Meatballs.
  • White pepper- Slightly more mild than black pepper, it can totally be used as well.
  • Eggs- Eggs are needed to bind all of the ingredients together.
  • Bacon– I like the chewy, salty bits that bacon adds to the muffins, however this is optional.
  • Breadcrumbs– Seasoned or plain, I do use traditional bread crumbs versus panko, which are coarser.

I do make mine into fun cupcakes use mashed potatoes for frosting and french fried onions as the decorative touch. Meatloaf muffins will still be fantastic even without those finishing touches.

bite of meatloaf on a fork

Hot to Make Meatloaf Muffins

The ingredient list seems a little lengthy, but this fun recipe comes together in a jiffy.

  1. Preheat the oven while you get the meatloaf mix put together.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute onions, carrots and celery until soft and fragrant. Add dried parsley and garlic, cooking an additional 1 minute. over medium-high heat. Do not use too much oil, or the mixture will have too much liquid and not hold together well. You can also drain/blot the whole on a paper towel lined plate if you are concerned this has happened.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, white pepper and eggs and then add the sautéed veggie mix. Breaking apart as you go, add the ground meats, bacon and breadcrumbs. Just like making meatballs, avoid overmixing to avoid a tough blend.
  4. Coat a standard size muffin tin with cooking spray and evenly divide the mixture between the wells.
  5. Stir together the ketchup and grape jelly, baste over tops of each meatloaf muffin.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  7. Mashed potatoes can be leftover, homemade or instant, no judgement here. They are best stiff. Either get fancy and use a pastry bag to pipe it onto each muffin or slather it on with an offset knife or spoon. If the mashed potatoes are hot, no need to heat, otherwise, pop them in a hot oven or under the broiler to get the edges a little crispy.
  8. Garnish with French fried onions.

PRO TIP: Don’t overmix your meatloaf mixture. Overmixing leads to dense, chewy or dry meat.

how to make meatloaf muffins

Make Ahead, Storage & Freezing

Meatloaf muffins are excellent as a make ahead dish. Reheat in a warm oven for 10 minutes or give it a zap in the microwave. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Muffins can also be frozen in plastic bags. I recommend freezing just the meat portion and “frosting” with mashed potatoes when ready to serve. They don’t thaw well-formed. Muffins can be placed directly into an oven while frozen, 350°F for about 20-25 minutes, or thawed and heated in a warm oven for 5 minutes.

mini meatloafs for pinterest

More homemade meatloaf recipes:

overhead slices of italian meatloaf

Best Chicken Meatloaf Recipe

Italian Chicken Meatloaf is the best kind of comfort food! A twist on a classic, it’s ready in 1 hour- perfect for an easy weeknight meal.
See The Recipe!
A close up of food on a plate, with Meatloaf and Onion

French Onion Meatloaf with Onion Gravy

French Onion Meatloaf uses a blend of spices with caramelized onions and a savory onion gravy. The ultimate comfort meal.
See The Recipe!
close up of meatloaf muffin with mashed potato frosting
close up of a meatloaf muffin with mashed potatoes on top

Meatloaf Muffins

4.55 from 11 votes
Using a simple meatloaf recipe, meatloaf muffins are individual sized servings frosted with mashed potatoes and garnished with French fried onions.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

Meatloaf:

Sauce:

Toppings:

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and coat the wells of a standard muffin tin with cooking spray.
  • Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery until soft and fragrant. Add the dried parsley and garlic, cooking for 1 more minute. Remove and set aside.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, white pepper and eggs. Add the sautéed onion mix. Add the meatloaf mix, crumbling as you go. Add bacon. Add bread crumbs. Toss to combine. Do not over mix.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup and grape jelly for the sauce. Baste over the top of each meatloaf.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
  • Place the mashed potatoes into a pastry bag, pipe onto the top or slather with a spoon. Place back into the oven for 2-3 minutes to warm. Using the broiler for a brief moment will give browned, crunchy edges.
  • Top with crispy onion strings and minced parsley.
  • If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.

Notes

  • You can use any ground meat you’d like, but try to get something lean or very lean. Even ground turkey or chicken works.
  • I use instant mashed potatoes and add a tablespoon or so extra of the flakes. You can also use leftover mashed potatoes and just “frost them” instead of using a pastry bag, in which case you’ll only need about 1 cup.

Nutrition

Calories: 311 kcal, Carbohydrates: 25 g, Protein: 14 g, Fat: 17 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 72 mg, Sodium: 339 mg, Potassium: 389 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 7 g, Vitamin A: 769 IU, Vitamin C: 11 mg, Calcium: 45 mg, Iron: 2 mg
Author: Chef Jessica Anne
Calories: 311
Course: Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Meatloaf Muffins, Mini Meatloaf, Mini Meatloaf Cupcakes
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

4.55 from 11 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    We made these for dinner and served with braised cabbage ‘steaks’ wrapped in bacon. They were delicious! The nutritional information says one serving. How many mini cupcakes are in one serving??
    Thank you for your fun recipe! A big hit with my family.

    1. Thanks for stopping by to let us know! We consider 3 meatloaf cupcakes to be a full serving. I generally only eat two, but hubby insisted that 3 was more reasonable. LOL.

  2. 5 stars
    What a clever way to dress up meatloaf…this is almost too pretty to eat. But what a wonderful presentation to serve up regular ole meatloaf. I know my kids would ask for seconds. YUM!

  3. 5 stars
    What a great savory dish! i love how creative they are! I bet kids all over are going to love them!

  4. 5 stars
    Love, love, love this idea! I make quite a lot of meatloaf but serving it as a ‘muffin’ with mashed potato on top looks so good. Have to try it!