Super simple to throw together and quick to cook, Veggie-Loaded Mini Taco Meatloaves are a fun flavor twist on a classic dinner dish! Loaded with oodles of veggies and squeaky clean ingredients, these miniature meatloaves cook up in half the time of traditional meatloaf and are perfect for weeknight dinners! Paleo, gluten free, dairy-free, and Whole30.
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Have you ever made a meatloaf in a muffin tin? If not, prepare for me to blow your mind! Seriously, it is a busy-mama-just-trying-to-feed-her-family-and-keep-her-sanity lifesaver!
I have been cooking meatloaves muffin tin meal style since magical and almighty Pinterest showed me that it was a thing. Not only do you end up with perfectly portioned out meatloaves that are easy to serve and store, but since they are smaller in size, these meatloaves cook up so much faster than a traditional meatloaf recipe! Making them super ideal to whip up for dinner on those crazy busy nights!
Bonus! If you are a meal prep kind of person who likes to have lots of healthy options chilling in the fridge (pun intended) to heat and eat during the week, then this recipe is one to add to your line-up! Since they are small, you can easily store these mini taco meatloaves in the fridge or freeze them for future meals!
And since I am me, of course I had to throw a bunch of veggies into these beauties to make them extra awesome and good for you! The bell peppers and carrotsin this recipe not only add a punch of color and a slight sweetness to these meatloves, but the add vitamins and nutrients before you even think about a side veggie to serve. More veggies = more goodness in my book!
If you love the idea of veggie-loaded recipes, be sure to check out the Veggie-Loaded section of my blog!
SUGGESTED ADAPTATIONS
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Use whatever ground meat you have on hand! No ground beef or maybe it i just isn’t your thing? No worries! Just use whatever you have on hand! However, since ground turkey or chicken tend to have less natural flavors, consider adding extra seasoning to keep these meatloaves from tasting bland!
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Spice it up (or down) as much as you need. My homemade Taco Seasoning is mellow enough for my 7-year-old daughter to enjoy, but the sensitivity of our taste buds varies from person to person. If you are concerned about the spice level of these tacos, consider reducing the chili powder in the seasoning recipe. Or, if you like a little more heat….crank it up by adding more chili powder!
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Add some greens! Love the idea of veggie-loading and want to add more! Try adding some finely chopped spinach to these meatloaves before cooking and up the veggie goodness!
VEGGIE-LOADED HACK!
Save some time in your veggie prep for this recipe and toss veggies roughly chopped into the food processor with your “S” blade for a fine mincing! I use this trick all the time when I veggie-load so that I don’t have to spend too much time at the chopping block. It works like a dream every time as long as you don’t over pack the food processor!
Love veggie-loaded recipes as much as I do? Check out my ebook, Veggie-Loaded Love, for oodles of veggie-packed recipes…including Sloppy Joe Nests made with delicious flavors, spaghetti squash and oodles of flavor! It will change your dinner game!
Veggie-Loaded Mini Taco Meatloaves {Whole30, Paleo}
Super simple to throw together and quick to cook, Veggie-Loaded Mini Taco Meatloaves are a fun flavor twist on a classic dinner dish! Loaded with oodles of veggies and squeaky clean ingredients, these miniature meatloaves cook up in half the time of traditional meatloaf and are perfect for weeknight dinners! Paleo, gluten free, dairy-free, and Whole30.
ingredients:
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped or grated carrot
- ½ cup mild salsa
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning (I used the homemade taco seasoning from this recipe)
- ¼ cup chopped olives (optional)
- 1 ripe avocado, diced (optional)
instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and either line a 12-hole muffin tin with liners or use a little oil to grease each compartment to prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl combine everything except the olives and avocado. Using freshly washed hands, mix the ingredients until everything is blended together evenly.
- Portion out the meat mixture evenly between the prepared muffin tin compartments.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until meat is cooked through.
- Top with diced avocado and chopped lives (if using).
- Enjoy warm over cauliflower rice, a baked potato, quinoa, a salad, or side of choice.
- Freeze leftovers or store in fridge for up to 5 days.
NOTES:
SUGGESTED ADAPTATIONS Use whatever ground meat you have on hand! No ground beef or maybe it i just isn’t your thing? No worries! Just use whatever you have on hand! However, since ground turkey or chicken tend to have less natural flavors, consider adding extra seasoning to keep these meatloaves from tasting bland! Spice it up (or down) as much as you need. My homemade Taco Seasoning is mellow enough for my 7-year-old daughter to enjoy, but the sensitivity of our taste buds varies from person to person. If you are concerned about the spice level of these tacos, consider reducing the chili powder in the seasoning recipe. Or, if you like a little more heat….crank it up by adding more chili powder! Add some greens! Love the idea of veggie-loading and want to add more! Try adding some finely chopped spinach to these meatloaves before cooking and up the veggie goodness!
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