Ever since I was really young, I’ve loved meatloaf. My mom’s was good, but it was also very greasy. Nowadays, I’m all about portion control (being a dietitian just makes you that way). That’s why baking the meatloaf in a muffin tin is the perfect way to know how much to eat. I used a leaner ground beef and a boat load of veggies to up the nutrition value. I also added a touch of dried cherries for a sweet “pop” of flavor.
Feel free to choose your favorite barbecue sauce (or if you’re feeling really ambitious, make your own). Josh and I discovered the Cookies brand at our state fair last year, and ever since then it’s been hard to use anything else. It’s so flavorful!
Pair this dinner with some baby yukon gold potatoes and fresh green beans and you’ve got a balanced, kid-friendly meal that will become a family favorite.
This meal cost $13.20 and took 45 minutes to prepare.
1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a nonstick muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add dried cherries and parsley and cook for 1 minute longer.
3. In a large bowl, mix ground beef, oregano, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, egg, egg white, sautéed vegetables and 1/2 cup BBQ sauce.
4. Place about 1/2 cup of the beef mixture into each one of the slots in the muffin tin.
5. Brush the tops with the remaining BBQ sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Mini BBQ Meatloaves
Serves 6
All you need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/4 bunch fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped
1 pound 93% lean ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup BBQ sauce, divided (I used Cookies Western style)
All you do:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a nonstick muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add dried cherries and parsley and cook for 1 minute longer.
3. In a large bowl, mix ground beef, oregano, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, egg, egg white, sautéed vegetables and 1/2 cup BBQ sauce.
4. Place about 1/2 cup of the beef mixture into each one of the slots in the muffin tin.
5. Brush the tops with the remaining BBQ sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.