Mini Italian Meat Loaves

This is another one from Betty Crocker The Big Book of Slow Cooker, Casseroles & More.  I'll admit, it is VERY similar to my recipe for Turkey Pizza Burgers but it does taste different!  Obviously this isn't what we're having for dinner tonight since we're still in Lent, but it was what was for dinner last night!  They came out very good, and Eoin got a kick out of having his own little meatloaf!  I served these with Italian Green Beans and Beef Rice, mainly because I was limited on time.  I want to; in the future, try something similar but I want to use ground chicken.  I'll obviously post the recipe for that if I choose to create it!  You can make these however you make your traditional meatloaf.  I followed the recipe for this, but I don't make my traditional meatloaf this way.  I have stated before, meatloaf, hamburgers and meatballs are literally the easiest dishes you can make.  I have variations on certain kinds of hamburgers, but other than that, there are no "real" directions on making them.  It all boils down to your personal preference, some people like chopped onion in theirs, some extra garlic, and some a hint of Tabasco!  There is no wrong way for preparing them!  These are made in a muffin pan, which I thought was an excellent idea because sometimes when you slice into a meatloaf, the whole thing crumbles and falls apart!  This way, there's a sense of portion control, and the overall presentation is a bit nicer!  The mini loaves are super kid-friendly!

Yields 6 servings (2 loaves each)  [Mine made 2 loaves less, giving me 10 loaves, or 5 servings]

Prep Time 10 minutes   Cook Time about 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs extra-lean (at least 90%) ground beef
• 1/2 cup Italian-style dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup pepperoni-flavored pizza sauce (from 14-oz jar)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I added extra garlic to mine)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup shredded Italian-style six-cheese blend or mozzarella cheese (1 oz)
• Additional pizza sauce, heated, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  In large bowl, mix all ingredients except cheese and additional pizza sauce.  Press beef mixture into 12 regular-size muffin cups (cups will be very full).  Place muffin pan on cookie sheet in oven to catch any spillover.  
2. Bake about 30 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in center of loaves in middle of muffin pan reads 160°F.
3. Sprinke 1 teaspoon cheese over each loaf.  Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Immediately remove from cups.  Serve with pizza sauce.