I think mini breads or cakes are a better idea. I can't enjoy meatloaf that conforms to a loaf pan. I prefer to pat it into shape so that the fat can drain from the loaf rather than to soak into it. There's quite a difference in taste.

The same recipe you use for a regular size meatloaf, you use for the mini loaves, but reduce the baking time. You can also bake meatloaf in muffin tins for individual portions.

Something I do with slices of leftover meatloaf is to pan fry it to reheat it. Hubby prefers the crispy pan fried meatloaf, and that may be something to do when you really don't care for meatloaf. It's often a textural thing, more than the flavor.

Personally, I never bake meatloaf in a loaf pan. I cook it in a pan on the top of the stove and include potatoes and green beans (or other veggies) in the same pan. I have Saladmaster Cookware and that's one of the best features of this type of waterless cookware - all the things you can cook on a low heat on the top of the stove that are normally baked in an oven. I don't follow a recipe, but it includes: ground beef or bison, egg, ketchup, dried parsley, seasonings, finely chopped onion or dried onion, oatmeal and ketchup on the top.

Meatloaf is the perfect "house special" - everyone makes it a little different. My son makes meat loaf with Stove Top Dressing (dry) in his recipe, and it's really tasty.

I had a friend who said her husband didn't like her meatloaf because it was too "soupy" (bless her heart, she WAS a terrible cook). With further questioning about her recipe, it was decided the large can of tomato sauce could be substituted with ketchup, and only add enough to hold the mixture together. No more pourable meatloaf mixtures. Her husband was thrilled the next time she made meatloaf. (LOL)

-Grainlady

My mother use to make meatloaf burgers.

Amanda often makes meatloaf in muffin pans, it takes less time to bake and leftovers are easy to warm up or slice in half for a sandwich on a burger bun. She uses the Mama's Meatballs recipe to make the meatloaf "muffins".

Ann T grills her slices of meatloaf and I keep meaning to try that, but I usually make meatloaf when the girls are over for dinner because they like it and leftovers usually get taken home somehow, go figure.

Anyway, here's the recipe they like because the onions and garlic go into the blender and so there are no pieces of vegetables. I refuse to use veal for anything, the process for raising it offends me, so I use half beef and half pork. I've also used venison when it suits me. I also don't fry meatballs when I make those from this mixture, I bake them, so it was natural to plop this mixture into pans and turn it into meatloaf.

You can add me to the list of people who don't bake meatloaf in a loaf pan, the grease pools up and I don't like that. The family loves Nancy's (wizardnm) topping made with catsup, brown sugar and vinegar. I don't even measure, I start with about half a cup of catsup, a couple of spoonfuls of brown sugar and a tablespoon of vinegar. Taste and adjust until you like it.

Rocco's Mama's Meatballs

1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 large sweet onion, rough chopped
4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 to 3 pinches chili flakes
2 to 3 pinches salt
Olive oil, to coat hands and for browning meatballs
Place the chicken stock, onion, garlic and parsley in a blender and puree. Set aside.

Place the meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, grated cheese, chili flakes and salt in a large bowl. Add the pureed chicken-stock mix. Using your hands, gently but thoroughly combine all ingredients, being careful not to overmix the meat. Coat your hands with a little olive oil and form the meatballs.

Pour oil in a large skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch and place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown the meatballs, turning once. Add as much of the tomato sauce as you desire, and bring to a simmer. Cook until meatballs are done. Serve over spaghetti.

Annie

Thanks to everyone for ideas.

I needed to use up a package veal, beef, and pork I bought from a fine local butcher at half price with a groupon. Since I couldn't decide on what I wanted to do with the mini-loaf pan, I just baked a meat loaf the way I usually do (in a covered enameled iron pot). I used two ideas from Grainlady's response. I had never thought to put green beans around a meat loaf (I usually use carrots and potatoes). Green beans and potatoes worked MUCH better. And I had a box of stuffing mix I bought sometime for some reason which I was tired of seeing on the shelf. Half of that went in also, with some sprinkled on top along with the traditional ketchup.

The loaf was tasty, but not great; the green beans and potatoes idea is a keeper. Next time I plan to try Annie's recipe in the mini loaf pan. The meatloaf mix from this butcher is so lean (there was no grease around the meatloaf I cooked yesterday--most drippings absorbed by the dressing mix, potatoes and beans) that I don't think the pan loaves will be too greasy. We will see. I do like the idea of serving a mini meat loaf (AKA rectangular meat ball) in a pasta nest.

Any other ideas for using this pan (it is a really nice heavy one with smallish sections) besides for breads and meatloaf?

Other ideas for meatloaf?

Sandra

I too cook meatloaf in muffin pans. For the same reasons as Amanda. And I like to top some with tomato based sauces, while others get mashed potatoes... change it up. I might have one tomato-y and one potato-y both in the same meal!

I hope this helps you on cooking time, found it on, I think Williams Sonoma. Sorry,I cut and pasted it, then I got interrupted. So it's I think. Good luck! I couldn't think of other uses except shaping something like candles? I dunno!

"Adjust baking times: The oven temperature should stay the same, but the baking times will be shorter. Since every mini pan size varies, estimate that the baking time will be 1/4 less than the recipe states for the large loaf"

Here is another meatloaf idea that I like. The recipe is huge, it makes two large meatloafs, I just use it as a guideline. I love having the stuffing mixed in the ground turkey, smothered in gravy.

Turkey Stuffin meatloaf
Rachael Ray

⢠3 tablespoons butter
⢠1 large onion, cut into small dice
⢠5 to 6 pieces celery heart, cut into small dice
⢠1 bay leaf
⢠2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
⢠Salt and freshly ground black pepper
⢠1 bag Pepperidge Farm traditional flavor stuffing cubes
⢠2-3 cups chicken stock
⢠3 to 3 1/2 pounds ground turkey
⢠2 eggs
Preheat oven to 375úF.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 3 tablespoons of butter. When the butter is melted, add the onions, celery and bay leaf to the skillet, season with poultry seasoning, salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until the veggies are tender.
Add the stuffing cubes to the skillet and mix in about 2 to 3 cups of chicken stock to moisten. Take the bay leaf out of the skillet, remove the skillet from the heat and let the mixture cool, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey, eggs and cooled stuffing mixture. Form the meat mix into 2 long loaves on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with EVOO and cook in the oven for about an hour, until brown and cooked through (165úF internal temperature).

Sandra, that recipe is very moist and tender, my family likes it very much. It seems like too many eggs, but ends up being light and tender. We like it because we have chickens, and so we have eggs....

The mini loaf pans could be individual lasagna servings like the lasagna cupcakes I've seen all over the internet. You could use them to bake small quick breads, of course, or little floating ice cubes with fruit in them for drinks. Ashley uses them to sort beads, but that's not a cooking related use, LOL.

Annie

When making turkey meatloaf of meatballs, you can add a tablespoon of gelatin (dissolved in cold water) to the mix (1-1/2 # meat), and it will be extremely moist and tender. I learned this from ATK. I don't use their recipes, but I do use their tips, and that was a good one. This should work for any turkey meatloaf recipe. It is not necessary for beef or pork because they have more connective tissue than turkey, or so they said.

Lars