Mini Meatloafs with Apricot Glaze and Baby Greens

Last winter, I thought I had perfected my meatloaf recipe. Although we’ve been having unusually warm weather in New York this week, I was more than ready to pull it out, this time in a more delicate fashion. It’s an easy dish to make since almost everything in it is essentials from your kitchen that you can throw in at your own discrepancy. Some of these ingredients I like to hold dear to the recipe, such as the chopped carrots. But in other cases, it’s an open field. For instance, I was torn between making a maple glaze, and accompanyingly, a maple vinaigrette for the salad greens. But instead, I used apricot preserves for a brighter flavor. You can always just opt for the ketchup slurry to glaze your meatloafs with, just like your mom taught you, too.

It might also be more simple to substitute the portion of ground pork with a sweet Italian sausage without its casing, since it’s easier to find in most grocery stores.

Mini Meatloafs with Apricot Glaze
(Makes 4 single-serve meatloafs)

1/2 lb extra-lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork (or veal, or pork sausages without their casings)
1 medium carrot, finely chopped or shredded
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tb chopped parsley
1/2 cup milk or light cream
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tb ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce plus 1/2 tsp for glaze
1 egg
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
pinch of rosemary
splash of red wine (optional)
1-2 Tb apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the milk and let sit while you’re chopping other ingredients. Combine the egg, carrots, onions, and all sauces and seasonings. Combine the ground meat and mix thoroughly. Shape into four mini meatloaf rounds (any shape you want!). Place onto baking pan.

For the apricot glaze, mix thoroughly 1 tablespoon of apricot preserves, 1/2 tsp Worcestershire, and 1 tsp warm water. Spread the glaze onto the meatloafs. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, but not too brown.

For the baby green salad:

Mix apricot preserves with a little red wine vinegar and a dash of salt. Drizzle in olive oil while stirring until emulsified. Toss with greens and serve.

Cost Calculator:
(for 4 servings)

1/2 lb extra lean ground beef (at $5.49/lb): $2.75
1/2 lb ground pork (at $2.99/lb): $1.50
1 Tb parsley (at $0.99/huge bunch): ≈ $0.20
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (at $2.99/canister): ≈ $0.35
1/2 cup milk: ≈ $0.18
1 carrot (at $1/bag of 8 ): ≈ $0.13
1/2 cup onions: $0.05
Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, rosemary, apricot preserves: ≈ $0.25
Optional splash of red wine: ≈ $0.60
Baby greens, olive oil, vinegar: ≈ $1.00

Total: $8.01

Health Factor:

Five brownie points – it might seem like “mini” meatloafs are better off than a big hulking slice of a loaf, but they’re still just as rich and full of good and bad elements. Concentrating on the fresh and good ones, like vegetables and fresh herbs, will take away a lot of bulk usually designated to bad preservative-ridden ones, like ketchup, though, which is what I try to do.