Mini Meatloaves
Contributed by Susan

Source: Jane Snow, Knight Ridder Newspapers

3 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 slices bread, processed into crumbs
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pleace ground beef in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. With
fingertips, mix gently but thoroughly. Do not knead and press the meat,
or the loaves will be tough.

Shape meat into 14 balls about the size of tennis balls. Place in muffin
tins. Bake in a preheated, 350-degree oven for about 45 minutes, or
until cooked through. Cool the loaves slightly, then remove them from
muffin tins. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze.

To reheat, unwrap a meatloaf and place on a microwave-safe plate. Cover
with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power for about 3 minutes, or until
thawed and heated through. Microwaving time will depend on how many
meatloaves are cooked at once. Makes 14 servings.

Article text:
Meatloaf is comfort food for harried cook
* Individual mini loaves can be made ahead and frozen for busy days

Meatloaf is soul food for the harried. The aroma alone can untangle
hours of tension.

You can make the loaves in advance and stash them in the freezer for a
day when you need pampering.

I made the meatloaves in individual portions so that just a serving or
two could be hauled out when the need arose. Muffin tins are perfect for
the purpose.

When making individual loaves, go for the big package of ground beef.
Leftovers are the point of the cooking session. I started with 3 pounds,
adding eggs, ketchup for zest, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and
onions. For the binder, I used fresh bread crumbs made in a food
processor. Fresh crumbs give meatloaf a more tender texture than dry
bread crumbs or oats.

The meatloaf mixture can be made in less than five minutes. All that is
left to do is shape the meat into balls about the size of a muffin-tin
cup, allowing a smidgen extra so that the meat mounds above the lip of
the muffin tin.

Place the filled muffin tins on a baking sheet to catch any grease that
spills over, and pop in the oven for about 45 minutes. After cooling
them slightly, wrap each meatloaf in foil and freeze.

Note from Susan: You can use any meatloaf recipe for this idea. I think
the neat part is having easy to use leftovers.