Sweet and Sour Meatloaf Muffins | Easy Weeknight Recipe
Delicious individual mini meatloaves covered in a savory, sweet-and-sour sauce are a great family dinner and comfort food at its best!
This post may contain affiliate links. Indigo Spring Home earns a small commission on these links at no cost to you.
Did you grow up eating meatloaf in your house? I did! Actually, it was one of my favorite recipes that my mom made along with her Chicken Soup with Pastina. This is my version of her Sweet and Sour meatloaf recipe. It has become a family favorite in my house now as well! The sweet and sour sauce is so much more delicious than a recipe for classic meatloaf. It’s slightly tangy from the apple cider vinegar, full of classic tomato flavor from the tomato sauce, and has a slight sweetness from the brown sugar. I like to make individual meatloaves in a muffin tin because they cook faster than a traditional meatloaf that is cooked in a loaf pan, which makes it easier to make on busy weeknights and they are the perfect size. This method makes individual servings, and if you have extra you can store the mini meatloaves in a freezer bag, freeze, and pull out when you need another quick meal.
Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Meatloaf Muffins
Meatloaf Ingredients:
- Meatloaf mix – This is a meat mixture that contains ground beef, pork, and ground veal. You could also use 2 pounds of ground beef – lean is best (that’s what my mom always did!)
- tomato sauce
- bread crumbs
- onion powder
- Italian Seasoning
- salt
- ground black pepper
- brown sugar
- apple cider vinegar
- white sugar
- yellow prepared mustard
How to make Sweet and Sour Mini Meatloaf Muffins
Cooking Instructions:
In a large bowl mix together the meat, Italian breadcrumbs, onion powder, salt, and pepper until it’s well combined. A fork might work for this but the best utensil to get the job done is your hands!
Prep a muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the meatloaf mixture equally into regular-sized muffin pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cooking time may vary a bit depending on your oven. Then top the mini meatloaves with half of the sweet and sour tomato sauce and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve the mini meatloaves with the remaining sauce and your favorite side dishes.
Side dish Ideas for Sweet and Sour Meatloaf Muffins
- Green Beans – Check out my recipe for Garlic Green Beans HERE
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Scalloped Potatoes – This is my favorite side dish with meatloaf. Yum!
- Mashed Potatoes – A Classic Pairing! Try GREEK YOGURT MASHED POTATOES for a healthier version.
- Creamed Spinach
- Green Peas
- Roasted Broccoli – We have a recipe for that too!
- Glazed Carrots – This is our favorite recipe
- Mac and Cheese
- Garlic Mashed Cauliflower – RECIPE HERE
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
How do you store leftover meatloaf?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Slice in half and serve cold on a delicious meatloaf sandwich on toasted bread or you can reheat in the microwave with a side veggie for a great leftover meal.
How to Freeze Meatloaf Muffins
This is one of my favorite freezer meals! It’s a great option for an easy dinner on a weeknight. It’s so easy to reheat, make a few side dishes, and you have a homemade dinner on those busy nights!
Once the meatloaves are cooked but not topped with the sauce, wrap the meatloaves individually in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Place them all in a large ziplock bag. Save the sweet and sour sauce in a quart-sized ziplock bag. Lay it flat in the freezer until frozen, then you can slip it into the gallon-sized ziplock bag with the meatloaf muffins.
When you’re ready to serve you can pull out all of the meatloaves or individual portions. If you are only pulling out one or two muffins, you can break off a bit of the sweet and sour sauce for the top of the meatloaf, and place it in a bowl to thaw. Let the frozen meatloaf sit at room temperature to thaw. Then you can reheat, covered in a low oven set to 250 degrees F until warm or in the microwave, covered for 2-3 minutes. On the stovetop or in the microwave, heat the sweet and sour sauce on low heat until warm. Top the meatloaf with the sweet and sour sauce
Printable Recipe Card
Sweet and Sour Meatloaf Muffins | Easy Weeknight Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb Meatloaf mix or ground beef or ground turkey **If you are using ground turkey – Add 1 egg to help it hold together.
- 1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp yellow prepared mustard
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a regular-sized muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, mix the meatloaf mix or ground beef, 1 cup of tomato sauce, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Once the mixture is well combined, divide it into 12 equal pieces and place each piece into a muffin tin.
- Bake the meatloaf muffins at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
- While the meatloaf is baking, mix together the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- Remove the meatloaf muffins and top each one with about 2 tablespoons of the sauce.
- Bake for 10 more minutes and remove from the oven. Heat the remaining sauce and serve on the side.