Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Super-fast mini meatloaves

This recipe is absolutely perfect for a quick, tasty dinner. It is easy to prepare and bakes in a fraction of the time a normal meatloaf would require. I thought it was really good. I'm still not 100% sure what Ken thought; our conversation went something like this:

Me: "How do you like the mini-meatloaf?"
Ken: "It's kind of like a hamburger."
Me: "Okay, on a scale of 'I-never-want-to-eat-this-again to lets-eat-this-every-week,' what do you think?"
Ken: "I'd give it an 8."

I'm not sure where that fits into the scale I gave him, but I think this will become a regular at our house (especially if I can formulate some nutrition info).

Mini Meatloaves
1 pound ground beef (at least 85% lean)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs, available at most grocery stores)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Sauce:
Mix equal parts (2 tbsp. of each should do it) of:
barbecue sauce
honey
spicy brown mustard
tomato paste (or ketchup)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; lightly brush with olive oil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together beef, egg, panko, 1/2 cup cheddar, salt, and pepper. Form into four 2x4-inch loaves; place on prepared baking sheet. Brush each with sauce mixture. (Optional: use an additional 1/2 cup shredded cheddar to top sauce mixture)
4. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, or until loaves are cooked through.

Tip: After baking sheet is removed from the oven, (with your oven mitts still on) roll up a kitchen towel and place it under one side of the baking sheet to allow liquids to drain away from the meatloaves.

Adapted from Everyday Food.

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