SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (The Daily Dish) – How do you like your meatloaf? A little spicy? How about with an Asian twist? No matter what your tastebuds desire, this delicious dish from The Utah Beef Council helps you deliver a made to order recipe. Jennifer Burns (@JBCookinghost) and Jacob Schmidt from the Utah Beef Council shares this tasty spin on mini-meatloaf.

Five-Way Mini Meatloaves
Base Meatloaf Recipe:
1-1/2 pounds Ground Beef (93% lean or leaner)
1/3 cup saltine, butter cracker crumbs or Panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup reduced-fat 2% milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Toppings:
Ketchup or barbecue sauce and shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly.
Cook’s Tip: To make cracker crumbs, place crackers in food-safe plastic bag; close bag securely, squeezing out air. Crush crackers with rolling pin to form fine crumbs. Shape beef mixture into 12 equal portions. Place into 12-cup standard muffin pan, lightly patting beef mixture to level top. Bake in 350°F oven 19 to 20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Cook’s Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed Ground Beef. Ground Beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of Ground Beef doneness.
Remove from oven. Garnish with Toppings, as desired. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Variations:
Italian Mini Meatloaves: Add 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms, 1/2 cup pasta sauce and 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil to base meatloaf ingredients. Bake 22 to 24 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Evenly top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with additional pasta sauce and garnish with additional chopped basil, as desired.

Greek Mini Meatloaves: Add 3 tablespoons chopped Kalamata olives and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano to base meatloaf ingredients. Bake 22 to 24 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Evenly top with crumbled feta cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with prepared tzatiki sauce. Garnish with sliced cucumber, as desired.

Asian Mini Meatloaves: Add 1/4 cup chopped green onions and 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger to base meatloaf ingredients. Bake 22 to 24 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Evenly top with hoisin sauce or teriyaki glaze. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped peanuts, sliced green onions or chopped cilantro, as desired.

Spanish Mini Meatloaves: Add 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped Spanish olives and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika to base meatloaf ingredients. Bake 22 to 24 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Evenly top with shredded manchego cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with sliced Spanish olives, as desired.

Recipe courtesy of www.utahbeef.org

Visit UtahBeef.org for more tasty recipes. And check out The Daily Dish every Wednesday for another great dish idea from the Utah Beef Council.

Sponsored by Utah Beef Council.