Name: Mini Meatloaf Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef; 1 6 ounce package stuffing mix; 1 cup water; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; ¾ cup pasta sauce; ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

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This Mini Meatloaf recipe is a great way to make your favorite dinner faster! Mini meatloaf muffins cook in half the time as a regular one and everyone loves these -even the picky eaters.

Six mini meatloaves on a plate with cheese on top

Meatloaf used to be a once in a while dinner at our house because, holy cow, have you ever baked a traditional meatloaf recipe? It takes forever. Mini meatloaf is the answer!

Instead of forming a large loaf, you divide the mixture and press it into a muffin pan. The meatloaf muffins bake in half the time, but they still taste like the classic version. The mini loaves are tender, juicy, and full of flavor. You can do this with pretty much any meatloaf recipe, but I love to make mine Italian-style with Italian seasonings and mozzarella cheese. This is such an easy recipe, and you don’t need a ton of ingredients to make it!

Overhead shot of mini meatloaves in a muffin tin ready to be baked

Ingredients in Meatloaf

Meat: I used lean ground beef but you could also use ground turkey, ground chicken or a combination of any with ground pork.
Stuffing mix: Most recipes call for some kind of breadcrumbs, and stuffing mix works really well because it’s dried bread crumbs mixed with seasoning. It makes gives the mini meatloaves the best flavor. I also use mix to make my easy sausage stuffing recipe!
Italian seasoning & Pasta sauce: for flavoring – and it’s easy to change up the flavors to suit your mood! You can also add ketchup and ground black pepper.
Substitutions: If you don’t have or want to use tomato sauce, you can use ketchup and add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and some garlic powder and onion powder.

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

How to Make Mini Meatloaf

The easiest way to mix the stuffing with the meat and seasonings is with your hands – it’s the fastest way to mix it thoroughly. Use a large mixing bowl and get your hands in there.
Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray and then divide the meat mixture evenly. Spoon the pasta sauce into a small well in each muffin.
Once they are cooked through, top them with the shredded cheese and bake them for five more minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Overhead shot of baked mini meatloaves covered in cheese still in muffin tins

Variations

Use BBQ Sauce and cheddar cheese to make BBQ meatloaf.
Use salsa and Monterey jack cheese
Pesto Sauce would be fantastic too!

These cheesy mini meatloaves are one of our favorite comfort food dinners. The Italian flavors really work, and I love that I can make them on a weeknight. Now you don’t have to wait to treat yourself to homemade meatloaf – you can make these even when you don’t have much time. I hope you give them a try!

Pair this with…

Serve meatloaf with roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes and a side salad or vegetable like sautéed mushrooms or roasted Brussel sprouts.

Side shot of mini meatloaves on a plate with veggies on the side

Storage

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Or, wrap well in plastic wrap and place in the freezer.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave – and make a meatloaf sandwich!

Expert Tips

Substitute ground turkey for a lighter dinner.
Use a cookie scoop for easy measuring into the muffin tin!
No need to use a muffin liner, but you can if you want to.
You could also make these in 3 mini muffin pans.
Whether you make a big one or mini meatloaves, they are done when the internal temperature is 160°F. You can check the temperature with a meat thermometer or cut into the center of one loaf if you don’t have one. It’s done when the meat is no longer pink in the center.