Easy to make and packed with flavor, my mozzarella-stuffed Mini Meatloaves are just the thing to make when you’re craving comfort! Seasoned ground beef is stuffed with cheese, baked until golden, then topped with a simple tomato sauce. These meatloaves can be ready in about an hour, making them perfect for weeknights!
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Your own personal meatloaf
As much as I love a slice of Italian meatloaf, the idea of having my very own meatloaf appeals to my slight “gavone” side and inspired me to create these Mini Meatloaves. Not only are they personal-sized, but they come stuffed with mozzarella, making them one of the most delicious and fun ways to enjoy meatloaf!
I like to serve these stuffed mini meatloaves with a side of roasted broccoli, or Italian green beans.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Beef. I’m using ground sirloin but you could also use ground chuck or ground turkey.
- Mozzarella. I like to use either block mozzarella that I slice into rectangles for the stuffing, but it’s even easier to use string cheese sticks.
- More cheese. Ricotta and grated parmesan are also added to the meatloaf mix.
- Breadcrumbs. I’m using Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for the mini meatloaves, but you could also use plain breadcrumbs if that’s what you have.
- Egg. This serves as a binder to hold the meatloaves together.
- Sauce. I top each meatloaf with simple tomato sauce I make by combining garlic, canned plum tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Slice the mozzarella into 4 rectangular pieces and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ricotta, breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan, grated garlic, salt, pepper, and egg and mix gently.
- Fill each meatloaf pan with half the mix, pressing into the corners to evenly distribute. Place 1 rectangular piece of the mozzarella into the center of each meatloaf pan.
- Top with the remaining meatloaf mix, pressing down to completely encase the mozzarella. Make sure the mix is distributed evenly. Depending on the size of the pans, they may not be filled to the top, and that’s ok. Place them onto a baking sheet and bake in a 400°F oven for 25 minutes.
- While the meatloaves bake, heat a large pan to medium heat and add the olive oil and garlic, sautéing until golden.
- Add the tomatoes and bring to a lively simmer, then season with salt and pepper to taste, and allow the sauce to continue simmering until most of the water evaporates and the sauce begins to thicken.
- Remove the meatloaves from the oven and flip them over onto the baking sheet and remove the pans.
- Top each mini meatloaf with a thick layer of the tomato sauce and return to the oven.
- Bake until they reach 160°F when checked with an instant-read thermometer. Allow the meatloaves to rest for 10 minutes before eating and serve with the remaining sauce.
Top tips
- Time savers. If you’re in a crunch for time, use mozzarella cheese sticks instead of cutting the block into rectangles. And while you can certainly use canned or jarred tomato sauce in place of the homemade sauce I use, keep in mind that the sauce cooks while the meatloaves are baking.
- Don’t rush. Trust me, I know how tempting it is to want to eat one of these mini meatloaves as soon as they come out of the oven, but they’ll be so much better if you let them sit for a good 10 minutes before cutting into it. This allows them to settle and stay together.
- Double the recipe. Stuffed mini meatloaves freeze incredibly well, and since they’re already individual-sized, they come in super handy when 1 person in the home is looking for a quick dinner that doesn’t involve takeout. For this reason, I usually double the recipe when I make this so we can enjoy our personal meatloaves for dinner, but also have a few in reserves for the future.
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Stuffed Mini Meatloaves
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatloaf ingredients
- 2 pounds ground sirloin
- 3/4 cup ricotta
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 pound mozzarella or 8 cheese sticks
Remaining ingredients for sauce and topping
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
For the meatloafs
- Preheat oven to 400°F and set the rack to the middle level.
- Slice the mozzarella into 4 rectangular pieces. Each piece should weigh around 2 ounces. You can also use 8 cheese sticks (2 for each meatloaf) to equal the same amount of mozzarella.
- In a large bowl, gently mix all of the meatloaf ingredients together, except for the mozzarella.
- Fill each meatloaf pan up equally with half of the mix and press into the corners to evenly distribute the meatloaf mix. Place 1 rectangular piece of mozzarella into the center of each meatloaf pan. Top with the remaining meatloaf mix, pressing to completely encase the mozzarella. Just distribute the mix evenly. Depending on their size, the pans might not be filled to the top.
- Place each meatloaf pan onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
For the sauce and finishing the meatloaf
- While the mini meatloafs are baking, heat a large pan to medium heat. Once hot add the olive oil and the garlic.
- Once the garlic turns golden, add the tomatoes and bring to a lively simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer until it loses most of its water and begins to thicken.
- Remove the meatloafs from the oven and flip them over and on to the baking sheet to easily remove from the pans. Top each meatloaf with a thick layer of sauce. Return to the oven and bake until each meatloaf reaches 160°F when checked with an instant read thermometer.
- Let the meatloafs set for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with the remaining sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Meat. I used ground sirloin but other cuts such as ground chuck can be used. Ground turkey or can be used for a leaner option.
- Mozzarella. You will need roughly 2 ounces of mozzarella per meatloaf. Cutting a standard block in half and then into 4 equal size rectangles is the easiet way to stuff the meatloafs. 2 string cheese per meatloaf can also be used.
- Let it sit. Make sure to let the meatloaf sit for at least 10-15 minutes before cutting into it so that it stays together.
- Leftovers. Stuffed mini meatloafs can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Reheat in the oven at 350f until warm or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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