This mini brown sugar meatloaf recipe is about to become your new go-to meal. Juicy single-serve meatloaves with a cheesy kick are topped with a zesty BBQ glaze for comfort food that brings everyone running!
When we think about classic comfort food, we always think of meatloaf. Our mom made it all the time when we were kids, and now that we’re moms, we do, too!
Like our BBQ meatloaf, this mini brown sugar meatloaf is packed with flavor, easy to make, and hard to stop eating!
Loaded with zesty seasonings, Cheeze-Its in place of crackers for extra flavor, and a bold BBQ glaze, this is classic meatloaf with a tasty twist.
We love serving it with sides like Instant Pot mashed potatoes and veggies, or broccoli cheese rice casserole, for a hearty comfort-food feast.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: You’ll only need a few basic kitchen staples to make this recipe.
- So Easy: Just mix and bake. That’s all there is to it!
- Classic Comfort Food Flavor: Every bite of this meatloaf is so juicy and loaded with flavor.
- Versatile: It’s easy to change up this recipe to suit your taste.
- Great for Meal Prep: This is a freezer-friendly recipe, so you can make extra for future meals.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ground Beef and Turkey: A mix of ground beef and turkey gives this meatloaf plenty of flavor while keeping it a bit leaner.
- Seasoning: A blend of Cajun seasoning, garlic, onion, and paprika adds zesty, aromatic flavor.
- Cheeze-Its: Crushed Cheeze-Its take the place of traditional breadcrumbs, giving the meatloaf a cheesy flavor.
- Brown Sugar: A layer of brown sugar on the bottom of the pans adds sweetness to this savory dish.
- BBQ Sauce and Ketchup: BBQ sauce and ketchup create a sweet glaze that caramelizes as the meatloaf cooks.
Variations
- Spicy: Add red pepper flakes for a spicier meatloaf.
- Cheese: Really lean into the cheese flavor by adding some shredded cheddar.
- Ground Meat: You can use ground beef, ground pork, or a blend of the two in place of ground beef and turkey.
- BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite flavor of BBQ sauce. Each variety adds its own twist to the dish.
How to Make Mini Brown Sugar Meatloaf
- Mix all the ingredients except the BBQ sauce, ketchup, and brown sugar.
- Divide the brown sugar evenly between 8 mini loaf pans. Then, top them with the meatloaf mixture.
- Mix the ketchup and brown sugar, and brush it over the tops of the loaves.
- Bake at 350°F until the meat is cooked through. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Mix the meatloaf ingredients until just combined. Overworking the meat can cause it to contract too much during cooking, squeezing out the juices.
- Let the meat rest for a few minutes before baking to ensure juicy loaves.
- Give your mini meatloaves about 5 minutes to sit after baking so the juices can redistribute.
Mini Brown Sugar Meatloaf FAQs
Use mini loaf pans for mini meatloaf. You can find them in metal, glass, and silicone varieties.
Dry meatloaf is usually the result of either adding too little liquid or overworking the meat. Be sure to add liquid in the form of eggs, ketchup, or some other sauce, and only mix your ingredients until just combined.
Starchy sides like potatoes and rice combined with your favorite vegetable sides are the perfect pairings for this meatloaf recipe.
More Mini Recipes with BIG Flavor
If you try this recipe and love it, please be sure to leave a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and comment! You can also pin it to save it for later. Also, you can follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Remember to “like” or “follow” us on all social media.
Mini Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 ½ pounds ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup BBQ sauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ cup crushed Cheez-Its
- 1 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add all ingredients, except ketchup and BBQ sauce, and mix until combined.
- Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar into the bottom of each mini loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Form 8 mini meatloaves and place on top of the brown sugar.
- In a small bowl, mix ketchup and BBQ sauce together. Brush over the top of each mini loaf.
- Place pans onto the baking sheet, place in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes or until the meat is thoroughly cooked.
Notes
- Mix the meatloaf ingredients until just combined. Overworking the meat can cause it to contract too much during cooking, squeezing out the juices.
- Let the meat rest for a few minutes before baking to ensure juicy loaves.
- Give your mini meatloaves about 5 minutes to sit after baking so the juices can redistribute.
Delicious! Serve them with mashed potatoes, and we loved them.
We thoroughly enjoyed these! I served them with mashed potatoes and green beans. SO good.
I love that classic flavor in that fun little package! These are so much fun!
I love all that big flavor in a fun-sized package!
This recipe is amazing! Adding crushed Cheeze-Its was an awesome idea.
These mini meatloaves are such a brilliant idea! They cook faster and are so much easier to serve for weeknights. Love this easy, cozy dinner!
Loved it and save it to make more! These mini brown sugar meatloaves were amazingly delicious. My son smashed 2 with a side a rice. He wants these again!
Love this idea of mini meatloaves. I definitely need to get these molds but the recipe is delicious! Loved the sweetness and the salty flavor combo…so good!
I made these for dinner and they cooked up perfectly. The brown sugar glaze is sweet and tangy in the best way!