This Italian meatloaf muffin recipe is an easy way to share individual servings of meatloaf. Top it with a tasty homemade marinara sauce or catchup for a new take on a classic dinner recipe. Mini meatloaf portions are easy to freeze in lunch or dinner portions and make great left-overs.
It’s getting cooler and the leaves are finally starting to change, so it’s time to pull out some comfort food like this Italian meatloaf muffin recipe. I really don’t make meatloaf that often, OK maybe never, but I have fond memories of my mom’s meatloaf.
My mother’s meatloaf had bacon and catchup on the top and was fabulous. I’ve jazzed it up a bit by adding pork to the hamburger instead of bacon and a few more seasonings. I’ve been taking my lunch to work lately, so making meatloaf in a muffin pan gives me just the right lunch serving.
I adapted the recipe from Foster’s Market Favorites where I’ve found some fabulous recipes in the past. This recipe works great in a muffin pan or you can make it in loaf form. I made it on a weekend when Natalie was home so I had a little more time in the kitchen and made a homemade marinara sauce instead of the traditional catchup.
The marinara takes about 40 minutes to simmer, but you’ll have some left over to use for something else. (Natalie took it home with her to serve over pasta)
If it’s one of those nights where you need a super quick beef dinner, then try Mongolian beef stir fry that you can have on the table in less than 30 minutes.
The meatloaf has a great flavor with onions and carrots, herbs and mustard along with some mozzarella cheese and panko to hold it all together. It took no time at all to make once I had prepared the marinara. If you don’t want to take this extra step, choose your favorite jarred marinara, like Rao’s or go with catchup. I think you’ll find that using marinara sauce adds a lot to the overall flavor.
Why you’ll love it
- You have small individual meatloaf portions.
- You’ll have extra marinara sauce to use for another meal.
- You can double the batch and freeze these for easy portioned lunch or dinners!
What you’ll need for mini meatloaf muffins
- Ground chuck & pork – when combined they add a lot more flavor
- Carrot – this add some texture and it never hurts to throw in some veggies
- Mozzarella cheese – cheese makes everything better
- Panko – dried bread crumbs to give it texture
- Onion – a yellow or white onion
- Garlic – always use fresh when possible
- Red wine – this is a basic ingredient in marinara and you can enjoy a glass while you’re cooking
- Crushed tomatoes – you will use the whole can, even the juice
- Fresh basil & Fresh parsley – this is optional but if you are an Italian food lover, this is a must. If it’s out of season, you can use dried.
- Spices – oregano, basil, salt and pepper
- Pantry Staples -Worcestershire, Dijon Mustard, Balsamic vinegar, Olive oil, Eggs
How do you make this Italian meatloaf muffin recipe
Step 1 – Marinara
Start with a large saucepan and cook the onions and then garlic. Add balsamic vinegar and cook until it is reduced by half then add wine and cook until it’s reduced.
Step 2
Add crushed tomatoes and seasoning and simmer until it thickens, about 30 minutes. Add fresh basil if desired. This makes more than you will need for the meatloaf.
Step 3 – Meatloaf
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, onion, grated carrot, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and mix well.
Add the beef, pork, mozzarella, bread crumbs and ½ cup of the marinara sauce.
Step 4
Using an ice-cream scoop add to muffin tins filling them to the top. Spoon about a tablespoon of marinara on top.
Step 5
Bake for 25-30 minutes until a meat thermometer 160º. Remove and let cool slightly before removing from the pan. Top with additional marinara if desired.
Pro tip: In the alternative you can place the meat on a rimmed baking sheet and shape into a 10 x 4 inch loaf and brush the top with marinara. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until the meat thermometer registers 160º.
Recipe note
- To ensure that your veggies are softened without sauteing them in an additional step, make sure that your carrots are shredded and your onions are well diced.
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for beef if you prefer. Remember that you might need more salt and spices to flavor up the meat if you go that route.
- If you want to turn this meatloaf muffin into a slider, place them on top of a challah roll and you can enjoy the same recipe in multiple forms.
- This recipe makes 30 meatloaf muffins or 12 muffins and 1 large 4 x 6 inch loaf.
What should be the internal temperature for meatloaf
To be safe, you should cook a meat mixture like meatloaf to an internal temperature of 160º according to Foodsafety.gov. A temperature probe works great for testing meat, my favorite is from Thermoworks.
We really love this version of meatloaf and the muffin servings were great when re-heated for lunch or dinner. You might have to save this for a weekend though because it has to simmer for 30 minutes and I generally can’t wait that long to eat during the week! Just make a double batch and freeze them for last minute dinners. You can also make this into a traditional loaf but it will take an hour and 15 minutes to cook.
If you like making savory food in a muffin tin, you might also enjoy making BBQ Cups.
FAQs and tips
A meat thermometer should read 160º when it’s cooked properly.
Eggs are primarily used in meatloaf as a binding agent to combine the meat, veggies and spices. It also helps create moisture in the meat so it doesn’t dry out as it cooks.
The easiest way to avoid meatloaf becoming tough is it cooks is to avoid over mixing the meat when combining all the ingredients. You want to mix them just until they are combined.
A simple alternative is to use a BBQ sauce, such as Sweet Baby Rays or a sweet chili sauce that comes bottled with all the flavors mixed in, for an Asian twist. You can also use a prepared marinara sauce, or catchup.
What sides to serve with meatloaf muffins
Adapted from Foster’s Market Favorites
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Italian Meatloaf Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- MARINARA SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup red wine
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoons dried basil
- ¼ cup fresh basil optional
- 1 onion finely chopped or grated
- MEATLOAF
- 2 eggs beaten
- ½ cup carrots grated, 1 carrot
- 1 cup fresh parsley loosely packed
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 ½ lbs ground chuck
- ½ lb ground pork
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 cups Panko
Equipment
- Muffin tin
Instructions
- Marinara Sauce: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add onion and reduce heat, cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add balsamic vinegar and cook until it is reduced by half. Add wine and cook, stirring until slightly reduced.
- Add crushed tomatoes and dried seasoning. Stir to combine and reduce heat to low and simmer until it thickens 20-30 minutes. Add fresh basil if desired. This makes more than you will need for the meatloaf.
- Meatloaf: Preheat oven to 375º and spray 30 muffin tins with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, onion, carrot, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Add the beef, pork, mozzarella, bread crumbs and ½ cup of marinara sauce. Gently mix to combine but don’t over mix.
- Using an ice-cream scoop add to muffin tins filling them to the top. Spoon about a tablespoon of marinara on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 160º. Remove and let cool slightly before removing from the pan. Top with additional marinara if desired.
- In the alternative you can place the meat on a rimmed baking sheet and shape into a 6 x 4 inch loaf and brush the top with marinara. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes until the meat thermometer registers 160º.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- If you don’t want to make your own marinara sauce, use a good quality marinara sauce like Rao’s
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for beef if you prefer. Remember that you might need more salt and spices to flavor up the meat if you go that route.
- If you want to turn this meatloaf muffin into a slider, place them on top of a challah roll and you can enjoy the same recipe in multiple forms.
- This recipe can be halved for 15 muffins or you can make 12 muffins and 1 loaf of meatloaf.
- This freezes well, just let it come to room temperature before freezing. To reheat, place in a 350º oven for about 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
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