Mini Barbecue Cheddar Meatloaves

This was one I saw on Pinterest and quickly added to our menu plan. We all love meatloaf, and add in with some caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, and a BBQ sauce glaze? Yum!! These didn't disappoint. Dinner was absolutely delicious and went perfectly with some super creamy mashed potatoes (well whipped with some cream cheese, butter, milk, seasoned salt, and pepper) and fresh steamed buttery green beans. Delicious! This perfect mini meatloaf recipe comes from Iowa Girl Eats and I know it will be making its way back onto our menu again. I love that they're individually sized for serving up, and it bakes up nice and quick too - great for a weeknight meal! You could easily prep these ahead of time, refrigerate, and just pull them out and pop them in the oven for a homemade meal on a busy night.

The original recipe suggests panko bread crumbs, but since I didn't have any we used regular seasoned ones and it worked great in this recipe as well.

 

 

Mini Barbecue Cheddar Meatloaves slightly adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients

1 large onion, sliced into thin strips
1 TBS butter
dash of salt
1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg, whisked
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup + 2 TBS barbecue sauce, divided
1/4 cup bread crumbs
dash of pepper
2-oz cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, then add onion slices and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. If onions are burning or cooking too quickly, reduce heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly while you prepare the meat mixture.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl combine ground beef, whisked egg, Worcestershire sauce, 2 TBS barbecue sauce, bread crumbs, dash of pepper, cheddar cheese, and caramelized onions, then mix until just combined. Divide mixture into 4-5 equal-sized portions then form into small loaves on a foil-lined, non-stick-sprayed baking sheet. Evenly distribute the remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over the meatloaves and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center.