Meatloaves and Meatballs

Ideas

When I think about making a meatloaf or meatballs I often wish I had some option that would make it easy to create smaller portions for cooking and freezing. A sort of make it once and cook later sort of thing. Well, here is what I’ve found:

Start with your favorite meatloaf mix. You can use whatever you prefer – and why not? I’ve included a base recipe below. Pay attention the the amounts as they might vary from your favorite meatloaf mix. If your recipe makes a larger quantity, use more pans.

Square Meatballs

Take your broiler pan and spray both the pan and the rack with nonstick spray and then line the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Both the spray and the foil will make clean up easier. The rack allows the fat to drain off the meat as it cooks. You will want to keep an eye on it as it cooks should you need to turn the meat.

For those of us who don’t particularly want to spent a lot of time prepping the meat into balls, this is an easy way to get 36 meatballs (4 servings).

Prepare your meatloaf mixture, then place it into an 8 inch square pan patting it out into an even layer. Chill for 15 minutes to allow it to firm. Remove from the fridge and tip it onto the prepared broiler rack. Carefully cut into 36 even pieces; do not separate. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the mixture is completely cooked through.

Mini Meatloaves

Take the meatloaf mixture and three mini loaf pans measuring 5 3/4 x 3 inches. Split the mixture evenly among the pans. Put the pans on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the loaves are done; 160 degrees F.

NOTE: If you usually use one 9×5 inch loaf pan, the same amount can be equally split into three 5 3/4 x 3 inch mini loaf pans.