If you're looking for a delicious and hearty meal to satisfy your taste buds, this mini meatloaf recipe might be up your alley! It features a blend of ground chuck and pork and a savory mix of vegetables and spices.
Paired with creamy spinach and sweet peas with ham, this meal will impress family and friends. Plus, with a simple ketchup sauce, you'll have a perfectly balanced and satisfying dinner in no time.
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How to Make Mini Meatloaf
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan and set it aside. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium saute pan.
Add the onions, poblano pepper, carrot, celery, Knorr beef bouillon, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, occasionally stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for about two minutes.
Add the wine, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and water. Scrap up any browned bits and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the season with kosher salt and/or pepper.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine both types of meat, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork, Don't mash, or the meatloaf will be dense.
Divide the mixture into 6 (10 to 11-ounce) portions and shape each into a small meatloaf on the prepared sheet pan. Combine the ketchup, light brown sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl.
Spread a tablespoon of ketchup mixture on top of each mini meatloaf portion. Bake the Mini Meatloaf for 40 to 45 minutes until the internal temperature is 155 to 160 degrees F and the mini meatloaves are cooked through.
How to Make Creamed Spinach
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the red onion and cook, frequently stirring, until soft and light golden brown, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, constantly stirring, for 1 minute more. Add the heavy cream, Kosher salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg, and bring to a gentle boil.
Cook, uncovered, occasionally stirring until the cream is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add the spinach and stir until evenly combined with the cream sauce.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. (If the creamed spinach seems a little watery, cook it over medium-low heat until any excess liquid evaporates.) Serve warm.
How to Make Sweet Peas with Ham
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium (10-inch) sauté pan, add the ham and red onion, and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the ham is heated and the onion is tender.
Add the frozen peas, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cook over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the peas are hot. Stir in the cilantro, taste for seasonings, and serve with the Mini Meatloaf and Creamed Spinach. Enjoy!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Mini Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- ½ pound ground pork
- 3 tablespoon good olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 poblano pepper chopped
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 stack celery finely chopped
- 6 garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Knorr Beef Bouillon or 2 teaspoons kosher salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons Malbec wine
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ cup cilantro or flat-leaf parsley chopped
- ¾ cup plain Panko bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs beaten
For the Creamed Spinach
- ½ cup finely shredded Parmigiano
- 2 (10-ounce) box frozen leaf spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry and coarsely chopped, or 2 (10-ounce) packages of fresh spinach (tough stems removed), steam, drain and roughly chop
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 1medium red onion, finely chopped
For the Sweet Peas with Ham
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 100g leftovers ham ¼-inch-diced1 large red onion, halved and sliced
- 1 12-ounce sweet frozen peas
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground Indian red chili or ground black pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Ketchup Sauce
- ½ cup Ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan and set it aside. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan.
- Add the onions, poblano pepper, carrot, celery, Knorr beef bouillon, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for about two minutes. Add the wine, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and water. scrap up any browned bits and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Taste and adjust season with kosher salt and/or pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine both types of meat, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork, don't mash or the meatloaf will be dense.
- Divide the mixture into 6 (10 to 11-ounce) portions and shape each portion into a small meatloaf on the prepared sheet pan. Spread about a tablespoon of ketchup on the top of each mini meatloaf portion.
- Bake the Mini Meatloaf for 40 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature, is 155 to 160 degrees F and the mini meatloaves are cooked through.
How to make Creamed Spinach
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the red onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and light golden brown, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Add the heavy cream, Kosher salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg, and bring to a gentle boil.
- Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the cream is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add the spinach and stir until evenly combined with the cream sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. (If the Creamed Spinach seems a little watery, cook the Creamed Spinach over medium-low heat until any excess liquid evaporates.) Serve warm.
How to make Sweet Peas with Ham
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium (10-inch) sauté pan, add the ham and red onion, and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ham is heated through and the onion is tender.
- Add the frozen peas, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cook over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the peas are hot. Stir in the cilantro, taste for seasonings, and serve hot. Enjoy!
How to make Ketchup Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, light brown sugar, and vinegar.
Notes
- To store: Place leftover mini meatloaf, creamed spinach, and sweet peas with ham in separate airtight containers and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- To reheat: Place the mini meatloaves on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated. Alternatively, microwave the mini meatloaves for 1-2 minutes or until heated. For the creamed spinach and sweet peas with ham, place them in a microwave-safe dish and heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
- If you’re using fresh spinach: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the spinach, cover, and steam until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain into a colander, rinse with cold water, and press out as much water as possible. Transfer to a cutting board and chop. If the spinach seems watery, gather in handfuls and squeeze to remove excess water.
- To thoroughly dry the spinach, put the thawed spinach in a clean kitchen towel over a bowl or the sink and twist to squeeze out all the moisture.
- Mix until combined over mixing will result in a dry and dense meatloaf.
- Let it rest for a least 10 minutes before slicing to help Lock those delicious juices
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.