Tender savory mini meatloaf bites (View Print Version)

Tender mini meatloaf bites topped with a sweet maple-mustard glaze, perfect for parties and family dinners.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat Mixture

01 - 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
02 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
03 - 1/4 cup milk
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 1/3 cup finely diced onion
06 - 1/4 cup finely diced celery
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
09 - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
10 - 1 tsp salt
11 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme

→ Maple-Mustard Glaze

13 - 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
14 - 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
15 - 1 tbsp ketchup

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
02 - Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl. Let sit for 3 minutes to soften.
03 - Add ground beef, egg, onion, celery, garlic, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme to the breadcrumb mixture. Mix gently until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
04 - Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups, pressing lightly to fill each cup.
05 - Whisk together maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and ketchup in a small bowl.
06 - Spoon or brush half of the glaze over the tops of the meatloaf bites.
07 - Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
08 - Remove from oven and brush the remaining glaze on top of each meatloaf bite.
09 - Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
10 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Run a knife around each muffin cup to loosen and lift out the meatloaf bites.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're portion-controlled and elegant enough to fool people into thinking you spent all day cooking.
  • The sweet-and-tangy glaze caramelizes while you're doing something else, making the whole house smell like a restaurant.
  • Leftovers are honest-to-goodness better the next day, and they freeze like a dream.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting step—those 5 minutes matter more than you think and keep them from falling apart when you lift them out.
  • If your glaze seems too thin, you're probably looking at regular mustard instead of Dijon; the Dijon's creaminess helps it stick and caramelize.
03 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients mix more evenly and keep you from overworking the meat.
  • If you don't have a meatloaf, you can shape these into patties and pan-fry them, though you'll lose the caramelized sides that make the tin version special.
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