Scenario: You’re harried, they’re hungry and the high hopes of getting a healthy dinner on the table is tanking. But, don’t pick up the phone for pizza delivery because my recipe for Garlicky Mushroom Beef Quinoa Muffin Tin Meatloaves is a little meal time miracle. 

Personal-sized and pleasing to even the pickiest eaters, this easy meatloaf recipe is a tasty time-saver, taking only about 10 minutes to put together and 25 minutes to cook. Read on to get this yummy, low-carb, meal-prep friendly beef recipe.Mushrooms are chopped in a food processor (I got mine in the “For the Home” department at Kohl’s) and used to replace a portion of the ground beef, it’s a smart swap! You know I love my beef and the important nutrients (think zinc, iron, protein) it brings to my diet as a master athlete. But, the addition of mushrooms helps to stretch my food budget while sneaking in extra veggies to the family meal. Most children won’t even notice the interloping fungi as they are chopped finely in the food processor to match the texture of the beef. Mushrooms also act serves as little flavor sponges, soaking up all the delicious juices to keep the mini meatloaves moist.
Beef and mushrooms have long been a dynamic duo, an umami-packed experience (like, check out my Beef Mushroom Chili)! Bonus, add garlic to the mix and BOOM, it’s even more savory and delicious. Plus, garlic has a ton of health benefits including the potential to be an ergogenic (performance-enhancing) aid according to some research. This is not a new thing – garlic was traditionally used in cultures of yore to reduce fatigue and enhance work capacity of manual laborers. It was even given to athletes in the original Olympic games in ancient Greece. 

Instead of using traditional breadcrumbs as a binder, I prefer to use quinoa to keep the meatloaf recipe gluten-free and boost up the protein. For time-saving convenience, I use leftover cooked quinoa or “ready” quinoa from a pouch – you can even swap it out for brown rice, faro, or whatever else you have in the fridge.

After baking in a standard-size, 12-count muffin tin and allowing to cool for a few minutes, simply pop these Garlicky Mushroom Beef Quinoa Muffin Tin Meatloaves out and serve on a salad or with your favorite sides. Three mini meatloaves make an adult-sized serving, and one or two will satisfy children or those with lighter appetites. Each single quinoa beef meat loaf has 88 calories, 9g protein and 3.6g net carbs – so pretty darn low-carb, even eating a few.

I often meal prep meat loaf and make a double batch to freeze and later thaw out for nights when I don’t want to be on kitchen duty at all – and this type of meal prep meat loaves are also great for a lunch at your desk too!

5 from 2 votes

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Garliky Beef Mushroom Quinoa Muffin Tin Meatloaves

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Course: dinner, lunch, meal prep

Keyword: beef, low carb, make ahead, meal prep, meatloaf, muffin tin recipes, mushroom, quinoa

Servings: 4 servings (3 pieces each)

Calories: 88 kcal

Ingredients

• ½ lb. mushrooms finely chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef 90%/10%
• 1 cup cooked quinoa or cooked brown rice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic can use fresh, jarred, frozen, or freeze-dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• Optional garnish: chopped parsley sautéed mushrooms, etc.

Instructions

1. reheat oven to 400°F. Spray standard 12-ct. muffin tin with cooking spray. Set tin on rimmed baking sheet to capture any excess juices.
2. Place the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped to the approximate texture of ground beef.
3. In a large bowl combine chopped mushrooms, ground beef, cooked quinoa (or brown rice), Worcestershire sauce, freeze-dried garlic, salt, pepper and egg. Mix all ingredients until incorporated.
4. Fill each muffin tin with 1/12 of meat mixture. If using a standard-size muffin pan, the meat will fill to almost the top.
5. Bake approximately 25 minutes or until mini meat loaves reach 160°F, are cooked through and center is no longer pink.
6. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before gently releasing around the sides with a knife.
7. Serve on a salad or with sides and sauces of choice.
8. Leftovers may be stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days or in freezer for 3 months.
9. To heat in the microwave, unseal lid and create a small opening for steam to release. Microwave for approximately 3 to 5 minutes or until noodles and mushrooms are tender.
10. To heat in the oven (glass dish), remove lid and cover container with foil, cutting a slit for steam to release. Bake at 350 F degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes until noodles and mushrooms are tender.

Recipe Notes