Mini Meatloafs with Flash Gravy

These mini meatloafs are a flavor bomb you can make on a weeknight. The gravy is optional, but can be made in just a few minutes.

All nutrition facts are AI generated and approximate.

Ingredients

Meatloaf

• 1 lb lean ground beef (93/7)
• 1 packet Knorr vegetable seasoning
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• ¾ cup plain bread crumbs

Gravy (optional)

• 2 Tbs butter
• ⅓ cup flour
• 2 tsp beef Better Than Bouillon
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg and buttermilk. Stir in vegetable seasoning and bread crumbs.
3. Add hamburger meat to the bowl, breaking it up as you add it. Stir all ingredients until combined.
4. Form meat into 9 two-inch balls and place in a muffin tin (should fit nicely). Press down the meat mixture in each cup.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until center is 160°F. Let rest 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.
7. Stir in flour and Better Than Bouillon; cook, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds.
8. Pour in water; turn heat to medium-high. Whisk gravy constantly until it reaches the desired consistency.
9. Turn off heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce. Remove from heat and cover.

Notes

• Don’t overmix: Stir the meat just until combined—overworking it makes the loaves dense and tough.
• The muffin tin is the trick: Nine small loaves cook faster and give everyone crispy edges.
• Cook to temp, then rest: Pull them at 160°F and let them rest 10 minutes before serving.
• Gravy is optional: The loaves are flavorful on their own, but the 5-minute flash gravy is worth it.
• Adjust gravy thickness: Whisk in a little more water if it gets too thick.

Why This Works

• Buttermilk panade: Soaking the bread crumbs in egg and buttermilk forms a paste that holds moisture, keeping the lean beef tender.
• Muffin-tin surface area: Portioning into small loaves exposes more surface to the oven for faster cooking and more browned edges.
• Roux-based gravy: Cooking flour into the butter before adding water thickens the gravy smoothly, while the bouillon adds instant savory depth.
• Resting the meat: A short rest lets the juices redistribute so the loaves stay moist when you cut in.