Already baked, already portioned, just warm two through and dinner is plated.
The kids are hungry now and you have nothing prepped for a real meal.
These cooked and froze in single servings, so a couple of minutes per muffin and they are hot.
Ingredients
The ingredients here make freezer mini meatloaf muffins. The batch makes 12 muffin-sized meatloaves.
- 2 pounds ground beef or turkey
- 1 cup breadcrumbs and 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup ketchup, plus more for tops
- 1 teaspoon each salt, garlic powder, and onion powder
- Optional: 1/2 cup finely grated carrot or zucchini
How to Make It
Make the slow piece of freezer mini meatloaf muffins early, then keep the fast finish for the hungry hour.
- Mix all the ingredients gently; do not overwork it or the meatloaves get tough.
- Press into a greased 12-cup muffin tin and brush the tops with ketchup.
- Bake at 375F for 22 to 25 minutes, until they reach 160F.
- Cool completely.
Freeze It
Baking these in a muffin tin gives you pre-portioned, kid-sized servings that reheat fast, with no slicing a frozen loaf.
- Freeze the baked, cooled muffins on a tray first, then bag them once solid
- Bagging after they are frozen keeps them from sticking together
- Label with the date and reheat time (best within 3 months)
Thaw and Reheat on Practice Night
These are already cooked, so reheating just warms them through.
- Microwave from frozen: 1.5 to 2 minutes per muffin, until hot in the center
- Oven from frozen: 350F for 20 to 25 minutes
- Two small muffins is a typical kid portion
- Serve with: mashed potatoes or rice, steamed green beans, a roll
Parent Tip
Grated carrot or zucchini disappears into the meat and adds a vegetable without a fight.
Make It Fit Tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Glaze them BBQ-style instead of ketchup
Brush BBQ sauce on top for a different flavor from the same mix.
Make them with ground turkey
A leaner muffin using the same binder and bake.
Hide grated carrot or zucchini in the mix
Adds a vegetable that melts into the meat unnoticed.
Press a cheese cube into the center
A melty surprise that makes kids ask for seconds.
Top with a pinch of crushed crackers
Gives the tops a little crunch when they bake.
Plan The Next Step
Bake a tray
Add a meatloaf-muffin batch to the planner and freeze a full dozen.