Mini Barbecue Bacon Cheddar Meatloaves

These single serving Mini Barbecue Bacon Cheddar Meatloaves are ideal for weeknight meals. They’re made with lean ground beef, cheddar cheese, bacon and a tasty blend of seasonings. They’re topped with a sweet barbecue glaze and they bake in half the time of a full-size meatloaf making it possible to enjoy comfort food any day of the week.

Ingredients to Make Mini Barbecue Bacon Cheddar Meatloaves Recipe

To me, meatloaf is consummate comfort food. It’s just on of those down home dishes I grew-up eating and my boys love meatloaf, too. Whether you’re planning on a full-size meatloaf or these mini meatloaves, they can be prepared in advance, then chilled until you’re ready to bake just before serving. The only thing left to do is, glaze and bake.  Serve them hot or make a tasty meatloaf sandwich or sliders for an easy dinner. It’s a comforting and filling meal in a snap on any day of the week. Ingredients to make mini meatloaf with cheese: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)

• Meat: Two pounds lean ground beef. (90/10)
• Bacon: 6 slices of crispy bacon.
• Whole Eggs and Bread Crumbs: Eggs and panko bread crumbs prevent the meatloaf mixture from falling apart.
• Tomato Sauce: One 12 ounce bottle chili sauce (i.e. Heinz).
• Milk: Buttermilk or whole milk for moisture.
• Onion: Diced sweet onion adds flavor.
• Cheese: Shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
• Seasonings: Store-bought barbecue seasoning, seasoned salt, granulated garlic or garlic powder (or fresh garlic cloves).
• Mustard and Worcestershire Sauce: These enhance the flavor of the beef. adding acidic notes.
• Glaze: Remaining chili sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard and barbecue seasoning.

How to Make the Best Mini Barbecue Bacon Cheddar Meatloaves

• Prepare Baking Sheet and Heat Oven – Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray, set aside.
• Bacon – Cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy.
• Ground Beef – In a large bowl mix together the beef, bacon, 1/2 bottle chili sauce, buttermilk, Worcestershire sauce, onion, cheese, panko bread crumbs, eggs, BBQ seasoning, mustard, seasoned salt and garlic. Stir to combine.
• Divide Mini Meatloaf with Cheese – Divide the meatloaf mixture into 8 equal portions and form into oval loaves.
• Glaze – Stir together the remaining chili sauce with brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and BBQ seasoning. Spread onto the meatloaf.
• Oven – Bake per the recipe, drizzle with the remaining glaze in the last 5 minutes of baking.
• Let Stand – Allow to stand for a few minutes then serve.

Tips for Making Mini Cheddar Meatloaves

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: A sheet pan or 13×9-inch baking dish for baking the meatloaves, large mixing bowl, a skillet to cook the bacon, a cheese grater, measuring cups and spoons, a sharp knife and cutting board, a large silicone spatula or spoon to mix everything together.
• Does Meatloaf Need to be Covered with Foil While Baking? The only time I recommend covering meatloaf is when there’s no glaze to prevent it from drying out. It’s not necessary to do so for this mini meatloaf recipe.
• Make-Ahead Tip: These mini meatloaves can be assembled one day in advance and placed into an airtight container and chilled in the refrigerator. Wait and add the glaze to the tops just before baking.
• Optional Serving Suggestion: If you’re in a hurry, you can go straight to the meatloaf sandwich and serve these cheesy meatloaf minis on toasted hamburger buns or Texas Toast.

Recipe Variations

• Brown Sugar Substitutions: You can use classic light brown sugar in the glaze or Splenda brown sugar blend to decrease the sugar content.
• Cheese: I like to use sharp cheddar cheese in this mini meatloaf recipe and I always have it on hand. You could adapt using colby jack cheese, monterey jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, white cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese. Feel free to use any variety of cheese that you enjoy.
• Ketchup: You could use ketchup in place of chili sauce for the topping and the meatloaf mixture.
• Protein: You could make these mini meatloaves with ground turkey, ground chicken or ground pork. When doing so, you may need to increase the amount of breadcrumbs to hold the mixture together.
• Oats: You could use quick cooking oats in place of panko breadcrumbs.
• Muffins: You may also like this recipe for Meatloaf Muffins baked in a muffin tin.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Store leftover mini meatloaf with cheese in an airtight container or wrapped in foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Reheat mini meatloaves gently in the microwave in single servings or in a 350°F air fryer just until heated through.
• Freezer Storage: You can freeze mini barbecue meatloaves for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat.

Southern Style Side Dishes to Serve with Mini Meatloaves

• Meatloaf is consummate comfort food and goes incredibly well with Buttermilk Ranch Mashed Potatoes
• Honey Yeast Rolls for serving on the side.
• Homestyle Macaroni Salad is a make ahead option.
• Scalloped Potatoes are made from scratch and feature a delicious homemade sauce.
• Sweet Pea Salad is a tasty old school side dish that’s simply delicious.
• Easy Crock Pot Mac and Cheese.
• This Layered Cornbread Salad is as tasty as it is colorful.
• You may also like to checkout my Parade article featuring 16 Ways To Make Meatloaf the Ultimate Comfort Food

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Rimmed Sheet Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Cheese Grater
• Cutting Board