· Dairy-Free · Gluten-Free
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ByEmily
Jump to Recipe·5 from 1 review
Miniature Meatloaves – Even if nothing about the word “loaf” sounds appealing, you should really give these beauties a try. Savory, tender, and NOT dry, these are just going to change your mind.
Meatloaf. There probably isn’t a more unfortunate sounding food name. Really? Loaf? We couldn’t come up with anything better than loaf?
I’ll be honest: Michael and I were not meatloaf fans. I felt like if we ate meatloaf that we’d somehow be cheating ourselves out of a good dinner. Nothing sounds great about meatloaf. In my home, meatloaf meant we were having a condiment for dinner with meatloaf on the side. I can only remember 2-3 times of eating meatloaf growing up. My mom felt like I did about the stuff. We just didn’t eat it. And I never EVER thought I’d make it in my home.
When I read Deb Perelman’s description of feeling the same way in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, I knew we were kindred spirits. She felt like it was beneath her to make or eat mealoaf until someone pointed out how much she loves meatballs, and, well, they’re just not much different.
So I decided to swallow my pride and meatloaf prejudice and try it. I tinkered with different recipes, and we’ve now made this one 4 times. It’s one of Michael’s favorite dinners. And we couldn’t be more embarrassed about how much we love it.
So, if–like us–you’ve been avoiding meatloaf, will you give this a try? With a tasty sauce and a small-size meatball portion, these miniature meatloaves are tender, delicious, and full of flavor and won’t leave you feeling like you’ve eaten a giant loaf of meat.
p.s. Seriously, does anyone have a more appetizing name suggestion? We’d really love to give these a name worthy of their deliciousness.
Miniature Meatloaves
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
5 from 1 review
- Author: One Lovely Life, inspired by Smitten Kitchen
- Yield: makes 24-30 meatballs 1x
Description
I typically mix up the sauce while the vegetable mixture is cooking to save time. The sauce can be mixed up ahead of time and refrigerated, if you prefer.
Ingredients
Scale
For the meatloaves:
- 2lbs ground beef (I used 85%. If you go much leaner, they’ll be dry)
- 2 slices bread (regular or gluten free*)
- 1 small onion (I like sweet onions)
- 1 medium carrot
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- olive oil
- 2 Tbsp barbecue sauce*
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce*
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the sauce:
- 1c ketchup*
- 1/4c barbecue sauce*
- 2–3 Tbsp brown sugar or pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce*
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Pulse bread in a food processor or blender until you get crumbs (they don’t need to be super-fine). Place crumbs and ground beef in a large bowl. Place onion, carrot, and bell pepper in the bowl of the food processor and pulse until fine, but not pureed.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add vegetable mixture to the pan and cook until water is evaporated and vegetable mixture is just starting to caramelize and turn golden. Add vegetable mixture to the meat and bread crumbs.
- Add barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dijon, salt and pepper to the meat and vegetable mixture. Working with your hands, combine all until mixed. Try not to over-mix as this can sometimes lead to tough meatballs.
- Divide mixture into 24-30 meatballs and place on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment.
For the sauce:
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine ketchup, barbecue sauce, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, Worcestershire, dijon, and pepper. Taste and add additional brown sugar if necessary (depending on how spicy your barbecue sauce is, you may want even more brown sugar. It’s your preference.).
- Brush or drop dollops of sauce over tops of meatballs.
- Bake meatballs at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until cooked through (a meat thermometer would register about 160 degrees).
Notes
*Gluten and dairy free notes: We’ve used Rudi’s or Udi’s gluten free bread with good success. Also, not all Worcestershire sauce is gluten free, so be sure to read your labels. We like Lea & Perrin’s brand. For barbecue sauce, we like Bone Suckin’ sauce, but Bull’s Eye and Stubb’s are also dairy and gluten free. We use Hunt’s No High Fructose Corn Syrup ketchup.
Recipe inspired by and adapted from Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
