Made with ground beef and Italian sausage, this recipe is loaded with plenty of garlic and seasonings, then topped with barbecue sauce for moist and delicious mini meatloaves every time!
As far as I’m concerned, meatloaf is usually either really good or really bad. And this family favorite recipe for All American Mini Meatloaf is really good!
Honestly, meatloaf sometimes gets a bad rap, but I think that’s mostly because a lot of meatloaf recipes are dry, bland and boring. But not this one!
First of all, making anything mini almost guarantees it’s going to taste better. Especially in the eyes of my children, who will happily eat mini meatloaves while turning their noses up at a classic meatloaf.
Of course, this recipe can be made the traditional way, as a single loaf, just be sure to increase the cooking time by at least an extra 30 minutes.
I also like to use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, especially if I’m making one large, single meatloaf.
I love that this recipe uses Saltine crackers instead of the usual breadcrumbs, because they add so much great, salty flavor. Of course, you want to be careful adding too much additional salt to the recipe because of this.
I find shaping my meatloaves in small ramekins helps me keep the portions even, and also makes for a great presentation. But you can definitely make free-form loaves and put them right on a baking sheet.
Another thing that sets this meatloaf apart from others is the barbecue sauce topping, instead of the usual ketchup. It’s just a simple mixture of your favorite barbecue sauce with some brown sugar and apple cider vinegar.
And honestly, if I’m in a hurry, I just brush plain old barbecue sauce over my meatloaves.
With a side of roasted or mashed potatoes and a green salad, this All American Mini Meatloaf recipe makes a hearty, satisfying meal any day of the week.
Be sure to save this All American Mini Meatloaf recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make All American Mini Meatloaf
- Olive oil
- Produce: onion, garlic, fresh parsley
- Milk
- Condiments: Dijon mustard, hot sauce
- Eggs
- Ground beef
- Ground Italian sausage
- Saltine crackers
- Salt and pepper
- Barbecue sauce
- Brown sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
All American Mini Meatloaf
Ingredients
For the meatloaf
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1/2 cup finely minced onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 eggs
- 24 crushed Saltine crackers about 1 cup crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease 6 ramekins and place on a large baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the meatloaf ingredients and mix with your hands until well combined. Shape the meat mixture into 6 mini loaves and place on prepared baking sheet or in prepared ramekins.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the glaze. Spread half of the glaze over the meatloaves.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Baste with remaining glaze halfway through cooking time. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
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Nutrition
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Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from Food Network
