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Meatloaf Muffins Stuffed with Mozzarella

Meatloaf Muffins Stuffed with Mozzarella are wonderfully juicy, cheesy, flavorful and on your table in less than 35 minutes! This Meatloaf Muffins Recipe will be your family's new favorite way to devour meatloaf! 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 meatloaf muffins

Ingredients

  • 12 muffin/cupcake tin liners
  • 3 mozzarella sticks each cut into 4 even pieces

Meatloaf Muffins

  • 1 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
  • 12 saltines saltine crackers, crushed
  • 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
  • 1 rib celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
  • 1/2 tsp EACH paprika, dried parlsey, pepper
  • 1/4 tsp EACH ground cumin, salt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

BBQ Ketchup Glaze

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar more to taste
  • 1-3 teaspoons hot sauce optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together BBQ Ketchup Glaze ingredients. Taste and adjust with more brown sugar for sweeter or more hot sauce for spicer. Set aside.
  • Add roughly chopped onion, green bell pepper, celery, carrot and garlic cloves to your food processor and finely chop. Add to large bowl along with the remaining Meatball Muffin ingredients and mix until well combined.**
  • Line a 12-muffin tin with muffin liners and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, fill measuring cup, add a mozzarella piece to the center and roll into a ball and place in muffin liner. Repeat until muffin tin is filled.
  • Evenly top each meatloaf muffin with BBQ Ketchup Glaze.
  • Bake Meatloaf Muffins at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center (but not the cheese) reads 165 degrees F.  If you don't own a thermometer, cut open 1 muffin to ensure it is cooked all the way through. Continue to cook if meatloaf is not fully cooked through.
  • Let stand 5 minutes then serve warm.

Notes

*You MUST use lean meat or grease will overflow the muffin tins. **You want meat mixture consistency to be moist but hold it’s shape. It should not be crumbly-dry or runny-wet. If too wet, add breadcrumbs. If too dry, add milk.

To Prep Ahead

  1. After completing Step 2, cover your glaze with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator.
  2. Then, follow all of the instructions through step 4.
  3. Cover your muffin tin with plastic wrap (no glaze on top yet) then place it in your refrigerator. I suggest storing for no longer than 24 hours to maintain freshness.
  4. When you’re ready to bake, remove the muffin tin from the refrigerator and place it on the counter for 20-30 minutes to come to room temperature (so they cook evenly).  Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
  5. Now you can proceed with Steps 5-7: cover your meatball muffins with glaze (already made and stored in your refrigerator), bake them in the oven for 20 minutes and let them rest for 5 minutes before happily devouring with family and friends.

HOW TO FREEZE RAW MEATLOAF MUFFINS

  1. Follow the recipe instructions through forming the muffins  – do NOT glaze muffins.
  2. Store glaze separately in a freezer-safe airtight container or plastic bag in the freezer.
  3. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to flash freeze muffins until solid, about 2 hours.
  4. Remove Meatloaf Muffins and place them in a freezer-safe bag or divide into smaller bags.
  5. Squeeze out any excess air (to prevent freezer burn), label and store up to 3 months.

How to Reheat Frozen RAW Meatloaf Muffins

  1. Transfer the muffins and your glaze to your refrigerator to thaw overnight.
  2. Remove meatloaf muffins from packaging and place on a plate on the counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
  3. After 30 minutes (not before because we want to avoid condensation), place the muffins back into lightly greased muffin tin liners in a muffin tin.
  4. Evenly top each meatloaf muffin with BBQ Ketchup Glaze.
  5. Bake until heated through, or until the center reaches 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, about 20 minutes.

HOW TO FREEZE BAKED MEATLOAF MUFFINS

  1. Follow the recipe instructions all the way through.
  2. Cool Meatloaf muffins to room temperature.
  3. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to flash freeze muffins until solid, about 2 hours.
  4. Remove Meatloaf Muffins and place them in a freezer-safe bag or divide into smaller bags.
  5. Squeeze out any excess air (to prevent freezer burn), label and store up to 3 months.

How to Reheat Frozen BAKED Meatloaf Muffins

  1. Transfer the muffins to your refrigerator to thaw overnight.
  2. Remove meatloaf muffins from packaging and place on a plate on the counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
  3. After 30 minutes (not before because we want to avoid condensation), place the muffins back into lightly greased muffin tin liners in a muffin tin.
  4. Bake until heated through, or until the center reaches 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, about 15 minutes.