Hello from the other side of Halloween! I scared myself by watching a blogger’s Instagram story highlight of her actual haunted house while Ben was gone for the evening earlier this week, but other than that, it’s been more treats than tricks around here! Actually, I ran out of Joel Gott mid-week and that also gave me a bit of a fright.
Here in central Iowa we trick-or-treat the day before Halloween (long story,) and Wednesday was brutally cold. It snowed off and on all day but nevertheless the boys had a blast collecting candy with their cousins. This was Cam’s first year trick-or-treating and Ben said he got up to the porch of the first house then turned around and yelled, “Dad! What I doing?!” HAHAHA, Cam!!
He went as an Iowa Hawkeyes football player while Lincoln dressed up as Harry Potter. Sis just wanted to be in the picture. ;)
Gosh I can’t wait until these guys are tearing it up together. Three kids is chaotic but the memories I have of carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, and candy swapping with my brothers are priceless! Here are our pumpkins, by the way. Ten seconds after taking this photo the Ghostbusters pumpkin fell backwards into the open dryer it was propped up against and all was nearly lost (according to our kids, anyway.) Not our smartest moment!
I saved my smarts for the kitchen and turned my favorite Italian meatball recipe into Stuffed Italian Meatball Mini Meatloaves! These individual-sized meatloaves have all the flavor of tender, savory Italian meatballs but require no rolling nor browning. Plus they’re stuffed with mozzarella cheese. You know what we call that? Un UPGRADE!
All that said, I adore the recipe for my Incredible Italian Meatballs, which taste like they came from a restaurant, but I rarely make them because rolling a bunch of meatballs then browning them in batches before simmering takes a lot of time. What doesn’t take a lot of time is mixing a few ingredients in a bowl then shaping into four loaves, stuffing half a mozzarella cheese stick inside, then baking. BOOM. All the fabulous flavor of Italian meatballs in a fraction of the time. These are sooo so good – and simple too!
How to Make Stuffed Italian Meatball Mini Meatloaves
Start by combining 3/4 cup small torn gluten free white bread in a large bowl with 1/2 cup finely grated onion plus the juices. You can use whatever bread you like (if you’re not GF just use regular sandwich bread or an Italian loaf) – just make sure you cut the crusts off first. Let the bread sit and soak up the onion’s juices for a minute or two.
Next add 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1 whisked egg, 2 cloves garlic that have been pressed or minced, 1 Tablespoon dried parsley, plus lots of salt and pepper then stir to combine.
Crumble 1lb ground beef over the top then use your hands to mix everything together and divide the mixture into four equal portions. Form each portion into an oval shape then use your finger to create an indentation down the center. Slice 2 mozzarella cheese sticks in half then press one of the halves into the indentation and close the meat mixture around it.
Place the mini meatloaves onto a foil-lined, nonstick-sprayed baking sheet then spread a couple Tablespoons marinara sauce on top.
Bake the mini meatloaves for 22-25 minutes at 425 degrees then serve with extra warmed marinara sauce. Serve with a big side salad, roasted vegetables, or a swirl of spaghetti on the side. However you eat it, I hope you love this delicious and super easy take on Italian meatballs! Enjoy!
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Stuffed Italian Meatball Mini Meatloaves
Description
Stuffed Italian Meatball Mini Meatloaves have all the flavor and tenderness of your favorite Italian meatball, but there's no rolling required!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup small-torn pieces of gluten free white bread (no crusts)
- 1/2 cup finely grated onion + juices
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- salt and pepper
- 1lb ground beef
- 2 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut in half
- 1 jar gluten free marinara or spaghetti sauce
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees then line a half or quarter sheet pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Add torn bread plus grated onion and juices into a large bowl then stir to combine and let sit for a minute. Add parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, parsley, and lots of salt and pepper then stir to combine. Crumble ground beef on top then use your hands to combine ingredients. Divide mixture into four equal portions then form each portion into an oval. Use your finger to press an indentation into the center lengthwise then place a halved cheese stick inside the indentation and close the meat around it.
- Place mini meatloaves onto prepared baking sheet then spread a couple Tablespoons marinara sauce on top. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with additional warmed marinara sauce if desired.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
I wish I had thought of this many years ago when my girls were little! I made an Italian style meatloaf that we loved but the Mozzarella in the middle would have taken it over the top! I can only imagine their reaction to it! :-)
So sweet! I’m glad this recipe brought back some fond memories. :)
I made these last night for my family and they were a huge hit! After just a couple of bites they said, “You can make these again anytime.”
I have made this recipe several times. My kids love it! So do I. This is a very flavorful and savory dish. We prefer it without the cheese in the middle, and I use Udi’s gluten free bread. Yum!!!
We love these so much! Even my very picky toddler devours these with spaghetti!
These were simple and amazing! Lots of flavor and perfect family recipe ?
If I leave out the onion and related juices do you think it will be too dry or bland? My husband was recently diagnosed with celiac disease so I’m trying to find replacements for some of out go-to meals. This looks like a perfect replacement for my regular meat loaf, which also had cheese in it, other than he has an aversion to onions. Worth a try without? Or can you think of something to replace the onions with?
Hi Michele! My husband has a deep aversion to onions – both the crunch and something about them hurts his stomach. We use shallots instead and he has no issues with them. Have you tried shallots with your husband? Otherwise, you could try adding a splash of chicken broth instead, plus some onion powder. I haven’t personally tried this but it could work.
Whipped this up after a long day at work. It came together quickly and was really tasty. Added some fresh basil on top just for contrast, but it tasted good. Did a bit of spaghetti with the remaining sauce. Nice little quick meal that seems a bit fancy.
This was a delicious, simple to put together dinner with a wow factor because of the cheese in the middle. Served with mashed potatoes and green beans. Thanks for a great recipe!
Oh my gosh! I just made these for dinner and they were so delicious I am sitting down to email the recipe to my friends. It was just what I needed (along with a side of homemade mashed potatoes) after feeling freezing cold all day. Thanks again for all your great recipes and positive, “real life mom” vibe!
Made this tonight and it was amazing!!!! Only thing I did different was I added some Italian seasoning with the parsley, egg mixture. Will definitely make again!
These are sooo good! I made with crushed up chex mix because I didn’t have gluten free bread and added some of the marinara sauce to the meat mixture and it was delicious. Thank you – this is going into the rotation :)
I’m so glad you liked them, Lindsey! Thanks for your feedback!
[…] Stuffed Italian mini meatloaves from @iowagirleats I will serve this with some green beans and a salad. […]
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If I am not making it gluten free, could I just use the progresso bread crumbs?
Hi Beth! I would still recommend using torn soft white bread – just not GF – it gives the meatloaves the texture of tender meatballs. I think if you were to use regular bread crumbs you’d want to use a lesser amount than 3/4 cup.
Can’t wait to try this! I love all your other mini meatloaf recipes!
These look so cheesy and delicious! I like stuffed meatballs but I was never able to get them perfectly round around the cheese center, so this shape is a much better option. Can’t believe I never thought of it, but thanks for sharing!
Yes! These are so much less work too – I hope you love them, Danielle! :)
Genius! I have not so fond memories of the terrible meatloaf I ate as a kid. But your meatloaf recipes have made me a convert and totally satisfy my meat and potatoes hubby. Trying this ASAP.
My Mom used to make ham loaf with a sweet glaze because my Dad (and only my Dad) loved it. BEYOND. ?
Think you could do this with ground turkey instead of ground beef? Trying to eat healthier and that means less ground beef (sob).
Oh sure!
Cute kiddos. We had your Shepard’s pie meatballs and mashed potatoes for dinner last night. It was perfect for a cold windy rainy Ohio Halloween night!
Love!! We debated that too but I forgot to defrost some beef ?