Best Italian Meatloaf

This Mini Slow Cooker Meatloaf is tender and juicy and so easy to make! Made with onions, garlic, spices and topped with a sweet and tangy sauce. This simple recipe makes the perfect amount to serve one or two people. Included in the recipe are instructions for converting a Crockpot or Crockpot-style slow cooker into a single serving slow cooker.

Meatloaf sliced into four slices on a dark wooden tray next to a small bowl of tomato slices with ranch dressing

I love a good meatloaf recipe – I consider it to be the ultimate comfort food. When meatloaf is simple, full of flavor, and perfectly tender and juicy, it’s a winner.

We’ve got a wonderful Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf For One recipe here at One Dish Kitchen and trust me, it’s fabulous. This particular meatloaf is cheesy, filled with bacon and reminds me of a bacon cheeseburger without the bun.

But if you’re looking for a meatloaf recipe that’s a little more traditional and not at all cheesy, then this Crockpot Meatloaf recipe is one you’ll love.

Why I Love This Recipe

You might wonder why someone would cook a meatloaf in a Crockpot or slow cooker when it could easily be cooked in the oven. Well, cooking a meatloaf in an oven is of course, a great idea. But what if you’re busy all day and would love to come home to a home cooked meal already prepared and waiting for you?

That’s where a slow cooker meatloaf is the perfect meal.

You’ll find with this meatloaf recipe that the meat is tender and juicy. My method for tender, flavorful meatloaf involves a quick and easy extra step and is so worth it.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon salted butter

2 ounces chopped onions (¼ of a large onion)

1 clove garlic , chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

½ pound ground beef

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

3 tablespoons breadcrumbs (instead of breadcrumbs, you can substitute 3 tablespoons of oat flour or almond flour or use 4 tablespoons of old-fashioned rolled oats)

¼ cup ketchup

1 tablespoon molasses

Instructions

Melt the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes.

Add in the chopped garlic, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for an additional 2 minutes. Remove skillet from the heat and set aside.

Place the ground beef in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the onion/garlic/butter mixture over the meat.

Add in the Worcestershire sauce, the egg and the breadcrumbs. Using a large spoon or your hands, mix the meat and all of the ingredients together until fully combined. Shape into an oval.

Cut a 1-foot length of foil in half lengthwise. Fold each strip in half lengthwise to form two long strips. Place the foil strips in the bottom of the slow cooker in a cross pattern. Trim them so that they are even with the rim or below the rim so that they don’t get in the way of the slow cooker lid.
Spray the foil and slow cooker with nonstick spray.

Place the meatloaf on top of the foil lining the slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 5 ½ hours.

Stir together the ketchup and molasses in a small bowl. Remove the lid from the slow cooker and spoon the sauce over the meatloaf. Cover the slow cooker again and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Carefully grasp the ends of the foil strips to lift out the meatloaf. Transfer to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let the meatloaf rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.