Mini Meatloaf Muffins
Mix ground beef with breadcrumbs, egg, milk, onion, garlic, and Worcestershire, divide it among a muffin pan, and top with a ketchup-brown sugar-mustard glaze. Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes until the centers reach 160°F, then rest 5 minutes.
There is something deeply practical about meatloaf baked in a muffin pan. Every portion gets browned edges, every piece gets its own sticky glaze, and nobody has to stand over a full loaf trying to estimate whether one slice is “normal” while quietly sawing off another half-inch.
The mixture is classic: ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, onion, garlic, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Mix it only until combined. Meatloaf is not bread dough; kneading ground beef like you are angry at it packs the proteins too tightly and leaves you with twelve little hockey pucks wearing ketchup hats. Divide the mixture gently among the cups, then spoon over a glaze of ketchup, brown sugar, and yellow mustard.
At 375°F, the mini loaves need about 20 to 25 minutes, until the centers reach 160°F and the glaze has gone glossy and caramelized. Rest them five minutes before lifting them out so the juices settle and the structure firms up. You get tender meatloaf, more browned surface than a traditional loaf, and a sweet-tangy top on every serving—which may permanently ruin the idea of fighting over the end piece.
