Servings: 8 servings

Meatloaf Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground veal/beef/pork mix (or ground beef, 85% or 90% lean)
• 1 med onion, minced (I sometimes sauté this before adding if you have “onion sensitive” eaters!)
• 2 large eggs
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tbsp ketchup
• 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 3/4 Stove Top Stuffing (or Panko breadcrumbs)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 ½ tsp salt if not using stuffing mix, if so, just a sprinkle
• 1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning if you are not using the stuffing mix, omit otherwise
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp ground paprika

Meatloaf Sauce Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1 ½ tsp white vinegar (any vinegar actually)
• 2 ½ Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a small bowl, combine the stuffing mix with the milk and let set while you mince the onions. (If you are using breadcrumbs, just add breadcrumbs and milk at once in the next step)
• In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the meatloaf. Gently mix to combine. Do not over mix.
• Gently divide the mixture into 8 mini “football” shaped loaves and assemble on the sheet pan.
• In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together for the sauce. Spread the sauce over the mini meatloaves with a pastry brush. Then bake the mini meatloaves uncovered at 375˚F for 30 minutes. Or until the internal temperature is 160˚F on an instant-read thermometer. Rest meatloaf about 5 minutes.  

This was my first time using the stuffing mix tonight. I had it on hand, oddly, because I usually reserve stuffing for the Thanksgiving holiday! I had a hankering recently, so there it was. The canister was shouting at me while I was starting to assemble my meatloaf tonight, so I decided to give it a whirl! It worked wonderfully!

I usually pair this meal with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans, as I did tonight. I also will make this into portions for the week with any leftovers…perfection!

A few years back, I started a meal service “Made with love with Wendy Lee” that was a “tip only” compensated venture. I was raising money as a single Mom with an All-Star baseball player headed to Cooperstown. We, as a league, did fundraising for his expenses, but I still needed to get there and to cover my costs for travel and lodging. I made food for the community and raised all the money I needed, thank you to my hungry neighbors and friends! There were a few of my recipes that were winners. This meatloaf dinner was one of the top choices, albeit without the stuffing. It is great either way!

I didn’t pursue the meal service after that venture, but I’d like to share the recipes of some of the faves that I gathered along the way. And without a photographer…excuse the iPhone photos in the “worked in” kitchen!

My inspiration for this recipe….and many others I make on a regular basis is natashaskitchen.com. No disrespect that I tweak it and make it my own! If you try this (or have tried my earlier creation of this), please feel free to leave some feedback! 👩‍🍳 💗