Stuffed Mini Meatloaves
My stuffed mini meatloaves combine ground beef seasoned with garlic, breadcrumbs, and cheese, then stuffed with mozzarella, baked until golden, and finished with a simple tomato sauce. These mini meatloaves are as much fun to eat as they are to make!
Servings: 4
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
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
Calories: 984kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.1g | Protein: 80.2g | Fat: 60.4g | Saturated Fat: 21.2g | Cholesterol: 325mg | Sodium: 1233mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 6.4g | Calcium: 331mg | Iron: 9mg
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