Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf “Muffins” Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables

by Shelley · May contain affiliate links

Published • Updated October 8, 2021

~ You’ll absolutely love this delicious, family-favorite meatloaf recipe! Fast-baking mini meatloaves are served over Asian noodles and vegetables for a meal-in-one that’s perfect for busy weeknights (especially since we have plenty of easy, make-ahead tips!). ~

This Recipe:     Includes Make-Ahead Steps   

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}

This recipe is one of my very favorite THK healification projects to date!

Welllll … along with the Blueberry-White Chocolate Muffins! (Holy cow – have you tried those yet?!? So crazy-good that you’ll NEVER believe they were healthified! Seriously!)

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}
Buying matchstick carrots (just like we recommended for our Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup) means you’re already ahead on your prep for this recipe! Just a bit more quick chopping, and you’ll be good to go! And trust us – the big flavors and textures (plus all that awesome nutrition!) that you get from these fresh ingredients is 100% worth it!

But back to this insanely yummy meatloaf … it’s the perfect comfort food with a twist!

Absolutely, satisfyingly delicious, with a huge punch of flavor that knocks the socks off standard meatloaf recipes! (Not that I don’t still love a traditional, classic meatloaf … this is just a uniquely yummy twist!)

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}

And it’s sooooo much healthier than where it started out …

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}

When my twins were in preschool, a new business opened in my town, called Clever Chef Works. Such a great concept! It offered an ever-changing menu of freshly made, grab-n-go, just-heat-and-eat dinners for busy families (ahem … ya know … like all of us!).

With a passion for food and a teeny-tiny itch to step just a little bit out of my stay-at-home-mommy status and have conversations with people over 36-inches tall, I snagged a (very) part-time job there.

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}

And I loved that job! All day long I thought about food, talked about food, and wrote about food … three top requirements on the list of “Shelley’s Dream Job!”

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}
Healthy sub: Instead of using regular bread crumbs in this meatloaf, we recommend choosing whole wheat. We particularly like whole wheat panko (left). Panko is basically a crunchier, more textural Asian-style bread crumb that’s generally available in most grocery stores. We’ve also tested this recipe with super-nutritious quinoa (right), instead of breadcrumbs. If you happen to have some extra cooked quinoa on hand, you can substitute it in equal proportions for the bread crumbs! Either way, whole wheat bread crumbs or quinoa give you just a little nutritional edge over regular, white bread crumbs.

With my background as a Communications Director, I worked mostly “front of house,” helping customers and designing PR materials. And (the best part!), I helped the chef come up with recipe ideas, write the recipes so they were easy to follow, and draft mouthwatering menu descriptions. (Hmmmmm … does it sound like I was unknowingly honing my skills for food blogging!?!??)

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}
The patties of these tiny, personal meatloaf muffins are a cinch to shape into pretty, individual servings! Just loosely form them into patties and then gently press them into your muffin pan. If you’re in a big hurry, you can also skip the step of shaping the patties by hand, and simply press the meat mixture directly into your pan. Either way, be sure not to compact them too much – over-handling can make your meatloaf tough.

We had a LOT of great food at Clever Chef, but one of my personal favorites was an Asian Meatloaf. It was sooo good, but was honestly lacking a tad in the “healthy” department.

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}
Make-ahead tip: Once you’ve added the hoisin glaze on top of your mini meatloaves, you can cover the pan in plastic and refrigerate them for at least a day, prior to baking them! So easy! You can also chop your veggies and mix up the sauce for the noodles ahead of time, too, so this whole dinner comes together in just minutes at mealtime!

I was so excited to reinvent this favorite recipe … in THK form! (Spoiler alert! It’s every bit as good, and so much more jam-crammed with nutrition!)

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}
Rather than white-carb pasta, we recommend using whole wheat. Capellini, or angel hair (left), cooks really quickly (usually in about 3-4 minutes), so it’s a perfect busy-night choice. If you want to feel a bit more authentically Asian, try buckwheat soba noodles (right), which you can look for in your market’s Asian aisle.

The transformation was actually pretty easy. I remember that Clever Chef’s version was a mammoth 2 pounds of beef for a 4-serving meal (not kidding – 2 pounds! Woah!), served alongside a little (white) pasta.

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}

I knew just what I needed to do! I swapped in a much more reasonably-sized portion of extra-lean beef, along with more nutritious pasta, and added loads of delicious Asian-style veggies. I love it even more this way – especially with so many great flavors and textures from all those pretty veggies!

And my kids blissfully chow it, too! One of those family faves that gets little cheers when the evening’s menu is announced! 😀

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}
These super-cute, mini meatloaf “muffins” bake so much faster than typical meatloaves – such a time savings on hectic nights!

With protein, whole grains, and tons of vegetables, this is a slam-dunk meal-in-one! You don’t even need to make a side dish! (Perfect for busy families!)

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}

Oh! And, in the final stroke of THK makeover genius … I cut the cook time dramatically! Clever Chef’s 2-pound brick of meatloaf needed nearly 1½ hours of bake time. Simple trick for meatloaf that cooks uber-fast? A muffin pan! These meatloaf “muffins” bake in a fraction of the time that a whole meatloaf takes!

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}

And don’t be worried about the ingredient list – it might look a little longer than a lot of THK recipes, but several of the ingredients are used in multiple places, it’s all super simple, and the whole thing can be entirely prepped the night before or early in the morning.

At mealtime, this dinner comes together in a snap!

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}

And your tastebuds will thank you, I promise!

Love All-in-One Meals that Don’t Even Need a Side Dish? Gotta Try:

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Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables

Yield: 12 mini meatloaves and about 7 1/2 cups of pasta with veggies
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes

A delicious mini meatloaf recipe, served over Asian noodles and vegetables! These meatloaf "muffins" bake fast for busy weeknight dinners!

•  Includes Make-Ahead Steps  

Ingredients

Mini Meatloaves:

  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons nonfat milk
  • 2 tablespoons minced sweet onion
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
  • 1/2 teaspoon peeled, minced fresh ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
  • 1/3 cup whole-wheat panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs, see note)

Glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons all-natural or organic ketchup

Pasta:

  • 8 ounces whole wheat capellini (angel hair) pasta or soba noodles
  • 3/4 - 1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed, and cut into about 1 - 2-inch pieces (to equal about 2 cups)
  • 2 cups matchstick carrots
  • 1 medium red pepper, julienned and cut into about 1 - 2-inch pieces (to equal about 1 cup)
  • 2/3 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons all-natural or organic ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot chili sauce (or similar hot sauce)
  • additional Sriracha for serving, if desired

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl, beat egg lightly with a fork.
  3. Add milk, onion, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, garlic, ginger, salt, and black pepper, and stir thoroughly to combine.
  4. Break up beef, sprinkling it over top of egg mixture, and then gently mix it in until just combined. Add panko and lightly mix again, being careful not to over-mix, as this can cause your meatloaves to become overworked and tough.
  5. Divide the meat mixture evenly among 12 muffin cups that have been sprayed with nonstick spray, pressing lightly to shape. (See note.)
  6. In a small bowl, combine Glaze ingredients of 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce and 2 tablespoons ketchup, and spread evenly across the meatloaves (about 3/4 teaspoon of Glaze per meatloaf).
  7. Bake meatloaves for about 18-20 minutes, or until the meatloaves are cooked through but not overcooked and dry.
  8. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, adding asparagus, carrots, and red pepper to pasta pot during last two minutes of cooking. Drain pasta and vegetable mixture and transfer to a large serving bowl.
  9. Combine chicken broth with remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, and Sriracha, and pour over pasta mixture, stirring to combine.
  10. Serve meatloaves on top of pasta or alongside, passing additional Sriracha if desired.

Notes

Panko: If you can't find whole wheat panko, you can substitute regular panko or even traditional, whole wheat bread crumbs (although panko has a much crispier, airier texture that we really like here, and we definitely recommend a whole wheat bread crumb if you can find it). In addition, if you happen to have some leftover cooked quinoa on hand, you can easily substitute that for the panko, as well.

Shaping meatloaves: These look wonderful if you gently shape each individual meatloaf into a patty before placing them into the muffin cups. If you're in a hurry, you can also just press the meatloaves directly into the muffin pan (being careful not to compact them too tightly so they're not tough once cooked).

Make-ahead tips: You can assemble the meatloaves and spread them with glaze the night before or earlier in the day. Just cover with plastic wrap (to be removed before baking) and refrigerate. Additionally, you can prepare the pasta sauce ahead of time, then cover and refrigerate, and also prep your veggies, refrigerating them separately.

Easy tip: Notice that the soy sauce, hoisin, and ketchup are used in multiple components of this recipe. To make this recipe even easier, start with three bowls (one for each component of the meal). As you open ingredients such as the soy sauce, hoisin, and ketchup, you can measure the specified amount of each into the appropriate bowl, and then be done with that ingredient altogether (rather than having to get an ingredient back out again later).

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 2 meatloaves + 1 1/4 cups pasta and veggies
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 327Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 1088mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 5gSugar: 11gProtein: 32g

Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.

Did You Make This Recipe?

We'd LOVE to hear! Please leave a star-rating above. And, tag us on Instagram @twohealthykitchens or use the sharing buttons below!

Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}
Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf "Muffins" Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables Recipe {www.TwoHealthyKitchens.com}

22 thoughts on “Hoisin-Glazed Mini Meatloaf “Muffins” Over Asian Noodles and Vegetables”

    • I’m just thrilled to hear it, Charla! Thank you so much for the lovely feedback – it’s truly appreciated, and I’m so happy you loved these Mini Meatloaves enough to want them two days in a row (high praise, for sure)! Have a wonderful weekend! ~Shelley

      Reply
    • Wonderful, Cindy – I’m honored that our Mini Meatloaves were vaulted straight to “family fave” status and added to the regular rotation at your house. We just love this recipe, and it makes me so happy to hear that other families, do too – thank you for taking the time to let me know! 😀 ~Shelley

      Reply
    • I totally agree – meatloaf recipes just aren’t always the healthiest (especially served up in BIG “comfort food” portions), and muffin tin meatloaf not only helps keep portion sizes under control … but yeah, has that huge added bonus of being so much quicker to cook! Even better for busy nights that you can completely prep this recipe ahead. Meatloaf … faster and healthier (and kinda cute, too!). Total win, right?!? 😉 ~Shelley

      Reply
    • Agreed! Muffin tin meatloaf just has so many advantages – from being quicker to cook, to keeping portion sizes under control … to just being so darn appealing to kiddos! And the Asian flavors here are so awesome – a truly delicious twist on a classic. Great to hear from you, Lisa – enjoy! ~Shelley

      Reply

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