A version of this recipe was in my most recent Slow Cooker magazine & I just had to try it. Have you ever heard of a meatloaf in the crockpot? Neither have I. Assembly took about 30 minutes & it was about another 30 minutes to finish it up (including the side dishes) when I got home. The meatloaves themselves were pretty good, but the sauce…. Holy Coconino I could have bathed in the sauce. It was DIVINE.
The first step was to whip up a couple eggs with some rolled oats & fresh chives. The oats act as a binder for the meatloaf & are in place of the traditional breadcrumbs.
Add the meat & chopped veggies to the egg mixture. I used equal parts ground turkey & lean ground pork, about a pound each. In this case, the veggies called for were finely chopped mushrooms & celery along with shredded carrots. You can use whatever you have on-hand. Zucchini (green or yellow!), onions & carrots are also a good combo. Just be sure to finely chop or shred whatever it is that you plan to use.
The next step was to shape the meatloaves & then brown them in hot oil. There was enough to make 4 small meatloaves that were about the length of my hand. While they were browning, I chopped the tomatoes & the red bell pepper for the sauce that would become the most amazing sauce EVER. Just a rough chop is great because after cooking, they get blended up.
Spray the crockpot with cooking spray, add the chopped tomatoes & bell pepper, dump the brown sugar, dijon mustard, & chili powder right on top & mix it all together there in the pot. Then set the browned meatloaves on the top of the veggies. Add the lid, turn to low & come back in four hours.
(Side note: the original recipe called for 6-7 hours on low. That’s only good if you want dry meat. Trust me, 4 hours is perfect. The loaves are juicy & tender & cooked perfectly).
After 4 hours, turn off the crockpot & use tongs to move the loaves to a plate. Cover with foil while you prepare the epic sauce. I spooned the fat off the top of the liquid & then dumped the remaining contents of the crockpot into a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup so that I could use the immersion blender to whip it up. Blend until smooth, or until most lumps are gone. Cut the meatloaves in halves or thirds & pour the Epic Sauce over the top. Soooo good!!
(Another Side Note: I served these with sauteed zoodles (zucchini noodles) & Instant Pot smashed red potatoes which are on the next post. It made a deliciously healthy weeknight meal that took very little effort & looked like a million bucks.)
Crockpot Mini Meatloaves
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 lb lean ground pork
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 1 cup finely diced mushrooms
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 8-10 campari tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, eggs & chives. Add the meats & chopped veggies. Mix thoroughly. Shape the meat into loaves, about 6-7 inches long & 3-4 inches in diameter. Brown the loaves in hot oil on all sides. Set aside. Spray the crockpot with cooking spray. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, brown sugar, dijon mustard & chili powder. Stir to combine. Set the meatloaves on the top of the tomato mixture. Add the lid & cook on low for 4 hours. Remove the loaves from the crockpot and set them on a serving plate; cover with foil. Spoon off the visible fat from the cooked veggies & discard. Transfer the remaining contents to a bowl or large glass measuring cup. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Pour the sauce over the meatloaves & serve with additional sauce.
