Mini Meatloaf Bites Are Easy and Make-Ahead Friendly

Look, we all have different Super Bowl rhythms. Some of us are happy to be the one in the kitchen cranking out all the yummy food. Others want some no-fuss food to make so we can enjoy the game too. Mini meatloaf bites with mashed potatoes and gravy are the perfect make-ahead treat. You can prepare the meatloaf mixture the day before and form your meatloaf patties. Store them in plastic containers (on parchment paper if possible so they don't stick) and refrigerate them overnight. Or if you have room for a sheet pan in your fridge (that will never be me) you can do that too. Then you can cook them on game day. Same with the mashed potatoes. You can make those the day before too. Reheat them in the microwave before spooning them on the cooked meatloaf.

close up look at super bowl meatloaf bites with mashed potatoes and gravy on a platter — *Go team go!!*

And the gravy? I'm all for shortcuts on Super Bowl Sunday and going with a packet of gravy is a fantastic time saver. We always use the McCormick Brown Gravy packets - the darker one. It's perfect for this. If you have a preferred store brand - great. I wouldn't recommended the "chicken gravy" for this. You'll need the dark brown one. The McCormick one says simply "brown gravy." Pretty straightforward, right?

front view of super bowl meatloaf bites with mashed potatoes and gravy and fun football-themed toothpicks

In terms of those fun toothpicks you see in the pictures, you can order those on Amazon. Just search for "Super Bowl toothpicks" or "football cupcake toppers" and you'll see all the varieties on hand. I'll leave a link below in the recipe card. There's a lot to choose from. You can probably find these at your local party supply store, but you'll probably pay more.

Easy Steps to Make Super Bowl Meatloaf Bites

peel, cube and boil your potatoes — *boil cubed potatoes until soft*

add all meat loaf ingredients to a large bowl — *add meatloaf ingredients to large bowl*

mix the meatloaf ingredients well until it looks like this — *mix until well combined*

use a quarter-cup measuring cup to measure out your meatloaf mixture, shape into a mound in your hand and place on parchment paper line sheet pan — *shape mini meatloaves and put on sheet pan*

overhead view of the mini meat loaves right out of the oven — *meatloaves right out of the oven*

add butter, salt, pepper and warm milk to your drained and cooked potatoes. Mix with a hand blender — *mash potatoes with butter, salt, pepper & milk*

don't forget to taste the mashed potatoes for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if you want. — *don't forget to taste for seasoning*

place meat loaves on a platter, spoon on a scoop of mashed potatoes and pour gravy over the top — *add scoop of potatoes and gravy to top of meatloaves*

overhead view of a platter of super bowl mini meat loaves before we decorate them with toothpicks — *garnish with parsley*

super bowl meatloaf bites with mashed potatoes and gravy holding in my hand so you can see the size — *Time to eat the bite!*

Are You Looking for More Super Bowl Sunday Treats? I Gotcha Covered!

Super Bowl Meatloaf Bites w/Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

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Author: Stacey
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 18-20 mini meatloaves 1x

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Description

Super Bowl meatloaf bites are the perfect game day eats. Mashed potatoes and gravy on top and fun football toothpicks - yay!

Instructions

Peel and cube your potatoes. Make sure cubes are about the same size so they cook evenly. Add potatoes to a large pot of water. These take 20-25 minutes to boil and soften. Plan your time with the rest of your prep and cooking the meatloaf. This is approximate, but turn your burner on high about 10 minutes before the meatloaves go in the oven.
Finely dice the onion. Transfer to a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for about five minutes - until onions are slightly translucent and browning a little. Stir a few times while cooking.
Finely dice the garlic.
At the end of cooking the onions add the garlic, a splash of oil and cook another two minutes. Set aside to cool.
If you’re using the optional parsley garnish, you should chop that parsley now.
Put the Italian breadcrumbs in a bowl, add milk and stir. It will be mushy at first. Set aside a couple of minutes. It will be thick by the time you add it to the meatloaf mix.
Empty your McCormick Brown Gravy packets into a small pot. Add water per package instructions. You don’t need to cook this now, but put it on your stovetop to be ready. The gravy only takes a few minutes so turn on the burner at the end of the cooking process - right before you’re ready to serve.
Assemble the meatloaf mix. Add the ground beef to a large mixing bowl followed by Worcestershire sauce, salt, BBQ sauce, dried thyme, shaker parmesan cheese, the cooked garlic and onion mixture, breadcrumb and milk mixture (will be thick now), and eggs. Mix until everything is well combined.
Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, portion out your mini meatloaves and place on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Fill the measuring cup with the meatloaf mix, scoop it out with your hands and shape into a mound (not a “ball” like a meatball, a mound closer to the shape of a thick patty). You should get about 18-20 mounds total. Use two sheet pans if you need to.
Bake meatloaf in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Internal temp should be 160 degrees. My oven runs hot so it might take a little longer depending on your oven or if you made the meatloaves a different shape or size.
While the meatloaf is cooling, don’t forget to heat your gravy per package instructions.
Heat your milk for the mashed potatoes in the microwave.
The potatoes should be boiled through by now and ready for mashing. Drain the water and put potatoes back in the same pot. Add butter, salt and pepper. Using an electric hand blender (or potato masher) start blending the potatoes. Add milk a little at a time until you reach your desired consistency. You may not need all the milk.
Transfer mini meatloaves to a platter. Using a kitchen tablespoon, add a scoop of mashed potatoes to the top of each meatloaf. Add a spoonful of the brown gravy to each after that. Sprinkle fresh parsley if you are using it.
If you are using the decorative toothpicks like you see in my video, add one or two to the top of each meatloaf. Serve immediately.
Serve any extra mashed potatoes and gravy on the side. It will get eaten. J