18 Best Leftover Meatloaf Recipes
Leftovers don’t just have to be reheating the original. Re-invent it with these delicious easy leftover meatloaf recipes.
Meatloaf is one of the ultimate homey comfort foods, and there are some great meatloaf recipes out there. But we’re discovering that one of its only downside is that it’s hard to make meatloaf in small portions.
However, meatloaf is a great option to reinventing a meal. As with your leftover chicken, leftover spaghetti and leftover chili, you can also use leftover meatloaf in many recipes since there are so many dishes that call for spiced meat.
So instead of eating meatloaf every day for 3 days, why not revamp the leftover meatloaf into a new dish? Because there’s more to life than leftover meatloaf and ketchup!
Leftover Meatloaf Recipes
1 — Sprinkle It on Top of a Pizza
If you’re in the mood for some amazing homemade pizza, why not add in some meatloaf? It’s already spiced and cooked, so there are fewer steps in the whole cooking process, which is great!
Top it off with some sweet or spicy peppers, lots of cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and whatever else floats your boat! To customize it, even more, get creative with the design of the pizza to make each bite even more special.
2 — Meatloaf Tacos
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Use your spiced-up ground beef to make meatloaf tacos! In a skillet, add the ground-up meat with spices such as chili powder, sauteed onions, salsa, and black beans. If it seems too thick, you can add some water.
Once the mixture is simmering on the stove, scoop it into some tacos — soft shell or hard shell, depending on your preference. Tacos always go well with sour cream, good guacamole, and to spice things up, jalapeños. Make sure to pair it up with a skinny jalapeño margarita too!
3 — Frito Pie Mason Jars Recipe
For a walking taco, this is the Frito pie recipe to go with. Although it calls for ground turkey, it’s can easily to substituted with your ground beef from your leftover meatloaf.
The ingredients and toppers are all customizable, so if you prefer savory or salty, you can easily go in that direction instead of spicy. End the great meal with a delicious Baked Apple with Spiced Granola and Yogurt.
4 — Stuffed Peppers
You can pretty much stuffed anything into stuffed peppers. This recipe is really easy to make and loaded with delicious nutrients.
First, cook the bell peppers in the microwave or bake them in the oven to soften them up. While they’re cooking, you can save time by making the stuffing. Dice up the meatloaf and cook some quinoa, rice, or orzo. Mix those two together, and then add tomato sauce and cheese.
When the peppers are done, stuff in the stuffing and cover with more cheese. When the cheese has fully melted, take it out of the oven, and bon appetit!
5 — Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf Stuffed Peppers
Take it up a notch, and wrap the leftover meatloaf stuffed peppers in bacon! The bacon keeps the peppers and stuff moist while it cooks, and the dripping bacon grease gives the entire meal more flavor.
This is a super quick recipe to make and incredibly easy. They also freeze well, so you can make a bunch, freeze them, and be able to use up all of the leftover meatloaves in one recipe!
6 — Spaghetti Bolognese
This spaghetti bolognese recipe is a simple 3-step process. As with most of the leftover meatloaf recipes, you start with meatloaf and add some tomato sauce. Instead of going too crazy with different toppings, stay simple and keep it at an easy spaghetti sauce.
Break up the meatloaf into small pieces, add tomato sauce (and spices if you want), and place it over some steaming noodles. Yum!
7 — Meatloaf Stroganoff
Revamp your leftovers by turning it into a meatloaf stroganoff. You’ll simply just need to make the stroganoff sauce. For a traditional side, serve it along egg noodles.
8 — Skillet Hash with a Fried Egg
With this skillet hash recipe, begin by sautéing some diced onions, potatoes, and bell peppers. Then, simply add in some crumbled meatloaf and crack an egg or two on top. Voila! To spice it up a bit (no pun intended) try playing with spices or adding cheese into the dish, too.
9 — Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Minestrone soup traditionally calls for meatballs but you can swap them out for leftover meatloaf. Sprinkle some cubed meatloaf into the soup along with a little bit of pecorino, and you are set to go! This leftover meatloaf recipe idea uses an instant pot, but that’s not necessary to make it well. You can also cook the soup for longer in a regular pot, and it will taste just as great.
10 — Vintage Meatloaf and Vegetable Soup
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Honesty, meatloaf can go in just about any soup that calls for meat. So If you ever run out of meatballs for a soup, use leftover meatloaf. When it is especially cold outside, nothing warms you up like a vintage vegetable soup meatloaf.
11 — Shepherd’s Pie Meatloaf
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Don’t let a bunch of meat go to waste next time you make Shepherd’s pie. Instead of using lamb, use up that leftover meatloaf.
Get those ramekins or casserole dishes ready because a combination of sauteed onions, peas, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, and crumbled meatloaf is about to blow your mind!
Top it off with some creamy mashed potatoes and cheese, and bake until all of the ingredients on top are hot and melted. Did someone say “yum”?! This is actually one of the most creative leftover recipes that we’ve stumbled upon.
12 — Fried Rice
Fried rice is so easy to do with leftover meatloaf. Take the leftover rice and saute it with diced veggies (of your choice), an egg, soy sauce, and, of course, some crumbled-up or diced-up meatloaf. Easy, filling, and not terribly unhealthy!
Side note: Fried rice is best with day-old rice. You can stick with the Asian meal theme by ending it with some homemade Mini Mochi Cakes too.
13 — Meatloaf Grilled Cheese
When comfort food meets comfort food. Grilled cheese sandwiches are such a classic American dish, as is meatloaf. So why not combine them to create an uber non-traditional American dish with meatloaf grilled cheese? This is not too far off from a patty melt.
Next time you have leftover meatloaf, have grilled cheese the next day and place a slice of meatloaf between the cheese and bread. Serve this delectable grilled cheese with fries and ketchup, or drink it up with this delicious Pickle Martini cocktail recipe!
14 — Meatloaf Chili
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Meatloaf chili, like soup, is amazing for cold nights. Simply cook up a hot pot of flavorful chili with vegetables and seasonings. Then add in some crumbled-up meatloaf.
If you feel like you want it hotter, add in some jalapeños or spicy chili seasoning to give it a bigger kick. Remember that the meatloaf is already full of spices though. Try beginning the cold winter meal with this winter panzanella salad with honey lemon dressing.
15 — Meatloaf Mac and Cheese
Leftover meatloaf makes a great addition to your favorite mac and cheese dish. When it’s still piping hot on the stove or just out of the oven, stir in the leftover meatloaf. The juicy meat brings out a great flavor with the cheese. Maybe this is not the healthiest of meals, but it’s definitely delicious. So you can make it more nutritious with a peach caprese side salad if you’re feeling guilty!
16 — Leftover Meatloaf Quiche
Meat, cheese, and eggs are a wonderful combination, and meatloaf quiche is no exception. Add in anything you want to the quiche-like mushrooms, peppers, spinach, or different types of cheese. Pair the this leftover meatloaf recipe meal with a cranberry orange salad with a creamy citrus vinaigrette.
17 — Grilled Bacon Meatloaf Burgers
If you’re obsessed with bacon and burgers, then grilled bacon meatloaf burger is for you. This is essentially eating meatloaf in a burger form. Simply, take some leftover meatloaf, and envelope it with some ground beef and sear it in a buttered pan.
At the same time, cook some bacon. And once it has reached a flimsy texture, take bacon and wrap it around the burger. Fry the burger up again until the bacon is crispier. Serve it with some homemade french fries and a traditional Old Fashioned to top off the meal.
18 — Meatloaf Egg Rolls with Jalapeño Ketchup
Why use just veggies or pork if you can use leftover meatloaf? A fashion of Asian and American food, these crispy meatloaf egg rolls reuse day-old meatloaf as a filling.
Combined with some homemade spicy ketchup combine, this recipe makes for tasty light meal or appetizer. Pair the egg rolls with a Spicy Paloma cocktail to kick up that spice register too.
More Dinner Ideas
Meatloaf is incredibly adaptable and can be used in a variety of dishes when you have a lot of meatloaf leftover from last night’s supper. Happy cooking! For more easy dinner ideas, check out a few of our favorite below —
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