Homestyle Muffin Pan Meatloaf

Muffin Pan Meatloaf is a much faster way to enjoy your favorite meatloaf dinner. They are individual portions of savory ground beef meatloaf cooked in a muffin tin in just 25 minutes. Serve it up with these quick Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and buttery peas for an excellent family dinner!

This recipe also is a great make-ahead dinner. The meatloaf cups refrigerate perfectly for up to 4 days and reheat in the microwave nicely! You can even serve them on a mini bun for a Meatloaf Slider Sandwich!

If you want a non-traditional flavored meatloaf, you can also check out this Italian Meatloaf Recipe! Or to make these a little healthier using ground turkey, pop over to this recipe for Turkey Meatloaf Muffins.

Ground Beef for Meatloaf

It is important to have SOME fat in your beef. It is what helps keep ground beef recipes moist and juicy, it also gives the meatloaf really great flavor.

When you purchase ground beef the meat to fat ratio is shown in a fraction- ex: 80/20. Which means the beef is 80% lean ground beef and 20% fat.

For this Meatloaf Cup recipe I recommend using an 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef. You could even go 93/7 for less calories.

I definitely would not use a 80/20 or 70/30 ground beef. That fat ratio will produce too much grease and your meatloaf cups will shrink quite a bit.

Classic Topping

We are sticking with good old classic ketchup topping in this meatloaf recipe. Nothing fancy.

When the ketchup topping cooks it takes on a whole different flavor. The sugars in traditional ketchup caramelize a bit and the flavor deepens and becomes warm and savory.

If you have brown sugar glaze or tomato sauce topping you like you can absolutely swap that out! BBQ sauce would even work if you want a totally different flavor.

Step by Step

This is a much faster way to make meatloaf for dinner! Instead of cooking for an hour or more, this recipe bakes in just 25 minutes.

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees and greasing a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray or olive oil.

In a skillet over medium heat sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until they are softened, about 5-8 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Worcestershire sauce, fresh rosemary (could sub thyme), and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste coats everything. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the panko bread crumbs and milk, let that sit for a few minutes to soak.

Now add the 2 lbs. lean ground beef, the onion mixture, 2 lightly beaten eggs, salt, pepper, and onion powder. With clean hands lightly mix the meatloaf just until all the ingredients are distributed.

It should still be a little fluffy, which will give you a more tender meatloaf (instead of a dense meatloaf).

Using ⅓ cup measuring cup portion out the meatloaf into 12 muffin cups. This should give you exactly 12 meatloaf cups.

Top each muffin cup with 1 tablespoon ketchup.

PRO TIP: Place the muffin tin on a rimmed baking sheet. This will catch any grease or juices in the oven in case you have spill over.

Pop that in the oven for 25 minutes until the center of the cups reaches 160 degrees.

Let the meatloaf cups cool for a few minutes and then remove them from the muffin tin and serve!

Storing & Reheating

If you have Muffin Tin Meatloaf leftover store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

These reheat REALLY well (so they make a great meal prep)! Simply place one or two muffins on a microwave safe plate and microwave for a minute or so.

Pro Tip: They will reheat through a little better if you cut them in half.

Bake & Freeze Meatloaf Muffins

Yes you can freeze your meatloaf muffin cups, making them a great option for meal prep (or a meal train dinner!).

Simply prepare the meatloaf cups completely and let them cool. Place them in a freezer safe, airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat them in the microwave. Or heat in the oven, covered with foil, at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the middle is warmed through.

Serving

Meatloaf is a traditional Sunday dinner recipe and is great served with some classic side dishes like:

• A starch like mashed potatoes or baked potatoes
• A green veggie like peas, asparagus, roasted broccoli or green beans.
• Roasted Carrots definitely work too!
• Dinner Rolls and butter

Add a Jello Salad and/or broccoli bacon salad for a more robust super classic dinner!

More Meatloaf Recipes

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