Meat Loaf in a Mug

Name: Meat Loaf in a Mug
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 serving.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons 2% milk; 1 tablespoon ketchup; 2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats; 1 teaspoon onion soup mix; 1/4 pound lean ground beef; Additional ketchup, optional

Here's a quick, delicious single serving of meat loaf. This smart take on a classic gives you traditional meat loaf flavor with hardly any cleanup and no leftovers! —Mrs. Ruby Matt, Garnavillo, Iowa

Ingredients

2 tablespoons 2% milk
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon onion soup mix
1/4 pound lean ground beef
Additional ketchup, optional

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the milk, ketchup, oats and soup mix. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Pat into a microwave-safe mug or custard cup coated with cooking spray.
Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a thermometer reads 160°; drain.
Let stand for 3 minutes. Serve with additional ketchup if desired.

Editor's Note

This recipe was tested in a 1,100-watt microwave.

Nutrition Facts

1 each: 248 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated fat), 72mg cholesterol, 440mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 24g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 starch.

Originally published as Meat Loaf in a Mug (For One) in Cooking for 2 Spring 2008

Reviews

My Review

Click stars to rate

Average Rating:

shereeder

Nov 7, 2015

OMG!!! I just made this! What a great meal for one person. I have extra mashed potatoes that I freeze and I defrosted some to go along as a side. It was just the right size for me. Highly recommend it for a busy weeknight dinner.
emayfieldz

Nov 3, 2015

This sounds great - I've already begun using oats as a filler this year and they work just great and add healthy touches to the food; I'll take one of my ground turkey pounders out of the freezer and make 4 or 6 of these at once and freeze the extras...thanks!
Jeannineinsd

Aug 20, 2015

Made this recipe today for lunch and it was really tasty. I am the only member of the family who likes meatloaf, so I will be making this for myself often.
StoneSoupGirl

May 4, 2015

Awesome, I used my favorite meatloaf recipe divided it into 6 portions and froze 5 for later. Love it, thanks for sharing
timeandspace13

Jan 31, 2015

This is a great recipe for anyone not feeling like cooking or maybe in college and only have enough space for a microwave in their dorm room. I didn't have onion soup mix so I just added whatever seasonings I thought would work. I added onion and garlice powder, salt and pepper, and dried parsley and oregano. It turned out great. I also used 1/3 pound of hamburger instead of a 1/4. The only thing I had were these premade hamburger patties. I thawed one of them out and put it into a mug. I added a little bit more milk, ketchup and oats. Maybe a teaspoon each? I just sort of guessed.My cooking time had to be adjusted a little bit, but it still came out great. This is definitely a recipe anyone can make. I will definitely be making this again!
MissHeather84

Oct 3, 2014

I consider myself a pretty good & fairly experienced cook. Normally, I go thru quite an ordeal to make dinners & end up feeling proud of the results. However, last night I was not up to the task of making dinner. My husband and I had just come home from a vacation & we had next to no fresh ingredients in the house. I ended up giving this a try. I was thrilled with the results!! I doubled the ingredients to make enough for two & followed the recipe as closely as I could. We didn't have milk, so I used an egg (unless you use half an egg, I would not recommend this for a single serving) and I used ground turkey, and a burger seasoning mix & onion powder for the spices. When my husband found out I was cooking meatloaf in a mug, he was pretty appalled (lol) but I insisted it would be good. I finished off the meal with frozen veggies (broccoli for him, green beams for me) and a microwaveable pouch of parmesan noodles. Dinner was pretty good and prepared in minutes! We both were impressed & finished our plates. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
radoice

Jun 15, 2014

I love the "Meatloaf in a Mug" meal. I used my own personal recipe and I doubled the recipe, which of course I had to use a bigger mug (soup size) and it took longer to cook (about 5-6 minutes) and it came out great. Then I tripled the recipe and I don't recommend doing this - simply too much to cook in the microwave. And as earlier review from molly1955 said this allowed me to alter/specialize the meatloaf.Thanks for this!PS - this recipe will be great for single meals...especially bachelors. :)
1stsgtspouse

May 11, 2014

Outstanding recipe. This recipe is so easy and taste delicious. I bought a set of 4 12 oz. oval silicone pots with lids from QVC and they are just right for this fabulous recipe. I make extra and freeze.
molly1955

Apr 18, 2014

Great recipe! Been making microwave meatloaf cups for yrs. One daughter does not like onions so I substitute powdered beef bouillon in hers or sometimes Worcestershire sauce. The resting time brings these right up to perfect temperature and allows the meat to reabsorb the juices. Now that she's away at college, these are simple enough for her to make with minimal cleanup.
annie1992

Apr 18, 2014

Although the recommended temperature for ground meat is 165F, I believe that cooking this meatloaf to 160F and letting it stand for 3 minutes will bring it above the minimum 165F which the safety experts recommend. Anyone who does much cooking realizes that if you allow meat to "rest" after cooking and before cutting or eating, the meat is improved. Juices are retained and the temperature will continue to rise a few degrees. That's why most recipes call for cooking meats to a slightly underdone point, so you don't have dried out and overcooked meatloaf, chicken breast, etc. And, although I'm not a big fan of meatloaf, I'm giving this one 5 stars, as it's something my 10 year old granddaughter can make for herself and her little brother after school or on weekends when she "gets to cook".