Mini Pesto Meatloaf

Mini Pesto Meatloaf


I've gotten on a kick lately for making meatballs and meatloaf, but trying to do something a little creative with it.  Today on the menu is mini pesto meatloaf baked in muffin tins.  I'm cooking for one, and I like being able to freeze leftovers for later.  These little meatloaves are perfectly portioned for meal planning and freezing.  Two meatloaf muffins are a serving size, although for me that was probably more meat than I needed for one meal.  

Here are the ingredients:
  • 1.5 llbs ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 t. salt
  • 2 T. Italian Seasoning
  • 1 T. minced, dried onion 
  • 1 t. minced garlic
  • 1 C. pork rinds, smashed
  • 1 C. zucchini, grated
I'm a big fan of using what you have on hand.  So if you don't have the Italian Seasoning blend, throw in some parsley, rosemary, basil, oregano, and/or thyme.  If you have fresh onion, use that - if not, use the dried like I did.  You can use fresh or bottled garlic, or use powdered.  If you don't have pork rinds, you can use a slice of keto-friendly bread, pulsed in the food processor into crumbs.  Or just leave it out.  In place of zucchini, you can use minced mushrooms, or just leave that out.  

It's easy to over-mix the meat and end up with a dense meatloaves.  So blend all ingredients first, then add the ground beef last and mix it in with your hands until just blended.  

Spoon into muffin tins so that each tin is full, but not overflowing.  You can gently pat down, but don't pack it too firmly.  If you have extra meat, you'll want to cook it in a separate dish rather than overfilling the muffin tins because as they cook, the grease and juices can spill out over the edge of the pan!  

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.  Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

For the Pesto Sauce on top, you'll combine:
  • 1/2 cup mayonaise
  • 2 T. pesto sauce 
When you're ready to serve, spoon approximately one teaspoon on each muffin.  

I served my mini pesto meatloaves with a big side salad with mozzarella balls and steamed broccoli.  I have to say, the pesto sauce was the best part!  I'll definitely make these again.


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