Cheddar BBQ Meatloaf Muffins

Cheddar BBQ meatloaf muffins are mini meatloaves made in a muffin tin and topped with BBQ sauce and cheese. An easy meatloaf recipe for dinner!

Cheddar BBQ meatloaf muffins are mini meatloaves made in a muffin tin and topped with BBQ sauce and lots of cheese. This easy meatloaf recipe is a quick and easy dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes, and it’s super kid friendly and picky eater approved!

My entire family loves meatloaf, and it’s probably one of the few foods that we all agree on. In fact, that’s one of the reasons that this blog happens to be called Meatloaf and Melodrama. The only reason that I don’t make meatloaf more often is that it takes a long time to cook, especially since I always make enough for all of us, plus leftovers.

My middle child, the Monkey, is the one who suggested making meatloaf in a muffin tin. She saw these somewhere — probably Pinterest — and asked me to try making them even before Christmas. The idea is anything but new, but I’m usually late to get on board the trendy train, sigh.

Anyway, I’m always looking for easy ground beef recipes, so I finally got around to trying the easy meatloaf muffins. And, I love how much easier they are than traditional classic meatloaf!

One of the best things about these little individual meatloaves is that there’s no fighting over who got a bigger piece. My kids do this all of the time, and it can really wear you down. My son still talks about the time I gave him five roasted potatoes while his sister got seven! So yeah, this is much better!

How to make easy mini meatloaf in a muffin tin

This is a super simple ground beef recipe with just a few ingredients. I just used my favorite easy meatloaf recipe for cheddar BBQ barbecue meatloaf. But, I adjusted the amounts a little bit and pressed the beef in a muffin tin instead of the usual large pan.

I used lean ground beef, but there was still a lot of juice around the meat, so I sucked it out with a turkey baster – easy peasy! Right before the beef was done, I brushed some barbecue sauce on the tops and crowned the mini meatloaves with shredded cheddar cheese.

I stuck the pan back into the oven for a few more minutes until the cheese was melted and bubbly.

They do shrink a little, but it’s really not too bad. If you want the portions to be bigger, just pack the meat into the muffin cups  a little higher.

More easy meatloaf recipes

• Italian Meatloaf Muffins
• Instant Pot Meatloaf

Cheddar BBQ Meatloaf Muffins Recipe

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4.93 from 13 votes

Cheddar BBQ Meatloaf Muffins

By: Dee

Cheddar BBQ meatloaf muffins are mini meatloaves made in a muffin tin and topped with BBQ sauce and lots of cheese. This easy meatloaf recipe is a quick and easy dinner that's super kid friendly and picky eater approved!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 pounds lean ground beef
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce any kind, plus more for brushing on muffin tops
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• ▢ ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together, except for the cheddar cheese, and form into large ball
• Fill the muffin tin with the meat mixture
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, and remove extra juice if desired
• Brush tops of muffins with barbecue sauce, and sprinkle cheddar cheese over the sauce
• Return to the oven, and bake until cheese melts and internal temperature is at least 160 degrees, according to meat thermometer

Video

Notes

Variation -- You can use 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese or 1/2 cup breadcrumbs to help the meatloaf muffins absorb the juices from the meat if you want.

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 401mg, Potassium: 297mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 155IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 125mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

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Serve these little cheddar barbecue meatloaf muffins with roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes and maybe some peas, and your dinner is served. Just remember to give your kids equal portions!

I hope you enjoy these easy cheddar BBQ mini meatloaf muffins as much as we do!

Recipe has been updated.