Mini Meatloaf Sheet Pan Dinner

At a glance

What stands out: This mini meatloaf sheet pan dinner is a complete meal, made all on one sheet pan. It’s reliable for a straightforward weeknight meal because the 4 mini meatloaves cook much more quickly than 1 large meatloaf.

How long it takes: 20 minutes prep, 35 minutes bake time
Equipment you’ll need: large rimmed sheet pan, mixing bowl
Servings: 4

A Reliable Recipe for Busy Days

We love cooking but sometimes we don’t like to cook. Do you know what we're saying? We enjoy creating and developing recipes, and we really enjoy eating, but on a Thursday evening when we've been flying around all day and we're exhausted, we're just not feeling up to doing much cooking. We're sure you sometimes feel the same way.

That’s why you’ll find lots of speedy and straightforward recipes here. Many of our recipes are one pan meals, one pot pasta dinners, and sheet pan dinners which means less time spent cooking and an easier clean-up, too.

This meatloaf recipe may become one of your favorite go-to recipes for busy weeknights. You can put it together in about 20 minutes and then into the oven it goes for 35 minutes. That’s just enough time to help the kids with homework, throw a speedy load into the wash machine, or to put your feet up for a few minutes.

Nancy B. Said:

“we love this recipe and put it in our regular meal rotation after the first time we made it! It’s straightforward to mix, requires minimal clean-up, is lighter, and most importantly, it’s rich!”

See More Reader Reviews

Minimal prep time

Carrots: We use colorful petite rainbow carrots (we got ours from Trader Joe’s and they come already peeled!). You could also substitute a bag of baby carrots. If you want to use regular carrots, scrub them well or peel them, and cut them into approximately equal sizes, not too large.

Potatoes: Small baby potatoes cook quickly and have tender skins so you won’t need to peel them. Usually they are pre-washed so just give them a speedy rinse. We like to halve the potatoes because they brown better. You can use larger potatoes, like red potatoes or Yukon gold. Simply cut them into pieces, about an inch or so.

Cooking Tip

Choose ground turkey with a 93/7 fat percentage for a standby results with this recipe. Too little fat makes a dry meatloaf.

What To Serve with A Sheet Pan Dinner

The beauty of most sheet pan dinners is that they are a meat and potato meal, including a vegetable. Protein, starch, vegetable! You wouldn’t have to serve anything else.

That’s not to say that you can’t serve a side dish with this dinner. A salad is always welcome and a good way to get more veggies on the plate. Try cabbage salad with honey lime dressing or straightforward lighter coleslaw (make it ahead!). Simple marinated tomatoes or pickled vegetables go nicely with this meal. A citrus fruit salad is reliable, too.

Looking for an great dessert to whip up? Try pumpkin pudding (with only 4 ingredients) or cream cheese fruit dip with assorted in-season fruit.

Straightforward Recipe Variations

• Substitute different vegetables. No one says you have to do carrots and potatoes. Try sweet potatoes, radishes (roasted radishes are delish!), green beans, asparagus, or any of your favorites. Keep in mind that green beans and asparagus only take about 10 minutes to roast, so add them at the end.
• Use different bread crumbs. You can use Italian seasoned bread crumbs and omit the Italian seasoning. Panko would also work in this recipe, and whole wheat bread crumbs are always a great idea!You can easily make your own breadcrumbs using bread that’s slightly stale. Substitute oats for a gluten-free alternative.
• Try a different kind of ground meat. We love turkey but if you prefer chicken, beef, pork, veal, or a combo, feel free to do it that way! Make sure to keep the fat content relatively low, though, or your vegetables will be cooking in a pool of fat and won’t get as golden brown and crisp.
• Cheese is always a good idea! Try mixing a half cup of shredded cheese into your meat mixture for extra flavor and moisture. Cheddar, Parmesan, and mozzarella are all solid choices.

Make Ahead Ideas

Head start: Prep the meatloaves, or just the meatloaf mixture, a day ahead. Store in a tightly covered container.

Meal prep: The meatloaves can be made ahead and frozen. If you have spare time, make a double or triple batch of the meatloaf mixture, form into meatloaves, and freeze on a tray until firm, a couple of hours. Place in a freezer-safe container or resealable bag. Uncooked meatloaves will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate/Freeze: Cooked meatloaf and vegetables can be refrigerated for three to four days in a covered container or frozen for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat: Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave. For best results, reheat in the oven or toaster oven at 400°F until heated through. An air fryer does a nice job of reheating, too. We like to cut the meatloaves in half lengthwise before reheating so that they heat more evenly.

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 35 minutes
• Total: 1 hour

Ingredients

For Meatloaf:

• 1 pound ground turkey (we recommend 93/7)
• 1 small onion, grated or finely minced
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ½ cup ketchup, additional for topping if desired
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• ½ cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

For Vegetables:

• 1 pound small potatoes, cut in half
• 1 pound carrots, cut into ½ -inch rounds (or whole baby carrots)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, or to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, onion, egg, ketchup, bread crumbs, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined (we use our hands). Do not overmix.
3. Divide meat mixture into 4 evenly sized mini meatloaves and place on a rimmed sheet pan, 13 x 18 inches.
4. Toss the potatoes and carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a clean bowl. Arrange potatoes and carrots around meatloaves in an even, single layer.
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven, carefully stir potatoes and vegetables, and return pan to oven.
6. Continue to bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until internal temperature of meatloaves registers as 165°F on an instant read thermometer, and potatoes and carrots are tender. If desired, top meatloaves with additional ketchup in the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Meat: Any type of ground meat or a combination can be used. Choose meat with a lower fat percentage so the sheet pan meal doesn’t get too greasy.

Different vegetables: Feel free to substitute vegetables you prefer or have in the fridge. Shorter-cooking vegetables can be added halfway through the total cooking time.

Variations: To make Whole30 compliant, use almond meal/flour instead of breadcrumbs, or skip the breadcrumbs completely. Use a Whole30 compliant ketchup. To make gluten-free, use oats or oat flour instead of breadcrumbs.