What is it they say – April showers bring May flowers? In our case, April brought unseasonably warm weather and very little rain, which has been followed up by a super rainy May. Like three straight weeks of rain. Total blah weather. I’m a sunshine person – I don’t really care what the temperature is outside as long as the sun is shining. It’s a complete mood changer for me. So, by the end of the second week of rain, I was feeling as gloomy as the weather outside, and desperately craving comfort food.
I started browsing my archives trying to find a favorite meal we hadn’t made in a while and pretty quickly decided on meatloaf. It is one of my go-to winter comfort foods but sadly I think I only made it once this year. We definitely needed one last meatloaf hurrah!
I was going to make an old favorite, but I couldn’t help doing a quick search for recipe ideas to see what else was out there. That search quickly ended when I found these cheesy meatloaf minis. I’m a sucker for minis (though usually it’s baked goods) and these sounded so good. They incorporate a lot of the standard meatloaf mix-ins (onion, garlic, ketchup, breadcrumbs, egg, etc) but there were a few unique things that caught my eye. The breadcrumbs are toasted – it’s an extra step that only takes about 3 minutes, but it added great flavor. Instead of adding raw onion, it’s softened quickly on the stove top first, which I hoped would make it less noticeable to Shane in the end (not so much as it turned out, but I loved the addition). Best of all, though, little cubes of cheese are incorporated in the mini loaves, and as they bake, it gets all gooey and melty. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to make meatloaf without cheese going forward π Because of their size, these minis cook more quickly than most meatloaf recipes I’ve made, which was also a nice added bonus! They were just the kind of comfort food I was seeking, and bound to be a repeat here next winter.
Cheesy Meatloaf Minis
adapted from Cooking Light, January 2011
{Note: I used the ground sirloin called for, but I think the recipe would also be great with ground turkey. Also, I used Monterey Jack cheese because it’s what I had on hand, but any cheese that melts well would work.}
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 cup diced onion (about 1 medium onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 oz Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 lb ground sirloin
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Add the breadcrumbs to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until the breadcrumbs are toasted. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a large bowl and place the skillet back over the heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray, then add the onion and garlic, cooking for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften. Transfer the onion/garlic mixture to the bowl with the breadcrumbs and allow to cool slightly.
Add 1/4 cup of the ketchup, the egg, parsley, Parmesan, Dijon, oregano, salt, pepper and cheese to the breadcrumb mixture. Stir well to combine. Add the ground sirloin and use your hands to gently mix until the ingredients are well combined. Don’t overwork the meat. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions, and shape each portion into a mini meatloaf on the prepared baking sheet. Each loaf should be about 4×2 inches. With the remaining ketchup, brush about 2 teaspoons over the top of each loaf.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the mini loaves registers 160 F.
In a way I regret that we are past meatloaf season here in DC. But the fall will fall us and in the meantime there are bongo recipes available for the warmer weather. I’m about to work on my Caesar salad recipe. Watch for it at my blog.
Ooh! I think I just found dinner for next week. These are so cute, and I love the addition of cheese–always better. π
Do you actually put them in little loaf pans or just make them in little rolls on a pan??
@Angela – You don’t need to use loaf pans. Just form them into little loaf shapes on the baking sheet, they’ll maintain their shape as they bake.
I simply adore meatloaf. I always have and I love it with cheese too. These are awesome, Tracey!
I haven’t made meatloafs in a while, but this is a good reminder, in the photo looks like you added sunflower seeds and I don’t see any in the ingredients list, maybe it just looks so! Anyway, I love that these are mini, and they look really juicy and delicious!
These were a great dinner, thanks for making them!
I love that you made these mini! And seriously, what is up with the weather this year?! Or even the last few years. I hope we get back to normal sometime.
love that you added cheese in the middle of these loaves..that’s always the best surprise! i love meatloaf and haven’t had it in a while..might be time to make some π we’ve had rainy weather too but thankfully this weekend, there will be sun! i hope ya’ll have sun soon!
@Catalina – No sunflower seeds, I promise π
You make the best dinners! I need to use you for inspiration when I don’t feel like making a real meal.
These look great! I have half a block of monterey jack that I wasn’t sure what to do with. Hopefully I’m motivated to try these soon!
Oh these would make for a perfect meal! I love that it doesn’t require to be baked in mini loaf pans. Great recipe, tracey! π
Made this for dinner tonight. My whole family loved it!
I have never made meatloaf myself but my dad made a darn awesome one when I was younger, so I am definitely saving this to try and replicate that homely yumminess π gorgeous!
Minis…I am all about the minis these days and these look wonderful. Look at all those bits sticking out and making it look so tasty! I am bookmarking this one as meatloaf is one of those things the guys here would eat once a week and never complain so I like to change up the recipe often. Thanks!
I’ve re-read the instructions a few times and I am lost. When is the cheese added and why does the third paragraph mention “while the breadcrumbs cook” when they’ve already been cooked? Please clarify. I’d love to make these this week. Thanks so much!
@Unknown – Thanks for the heads-up, and sorry for any confusion. I’ve corrected the instructions so they should make more sense now. If you need further clarification, let me know! π
Oh, and the cheese is added along with the rest of the ingredients – it’s in the first sentence of the 3rd paragraph.
Thank you for the clarification! Making this right now! π
I made these tonight and they were delicious π Only changes I made were using BBQ sauce on top instead of ketchup (I don’t like ketchup much by itself), and I used shredded jack instead of cubed. The 2 of us ate 3 of them, and I’m going to freeze the other 3 for another dinner. Thanks!
Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole’s Chatter is all about meatloaf. I do hope you link this nice one in. This is the link . Please do pop back to check out some of the other links. Have a great week.
What would you recommend for freezing these for future dinners? Bake first and freeze, or shape and freeze to bake off later?