This really has to be one of the fastest, easiest dinners EVER. I have been craving meatloaf lately, but decided to just go ahead and cook all my vegetable sides along with the loaves to make my whole dinner in one swoop. This Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner is seriously so easy and customizable, I can see myself making at least ten variations on this simple theme. Watch out, because you’ll be seeing this on the blog a lot in the near future!
How Many Does This Recipe Feed?
This recipe makes dinner for two, and if you know me and my style of eating, then you know that I like things heavy on vegetables and light on the meat. This meal is super easy to switch up if you want different portions, though. To avoid overcrowding the sheet pan, use two sheet pans to double this dinner and feed four. Or double the meat mixture and keep the vegetables the same (using one pan) to do four portions that are heavier on the meat and lighter on the vegetables. It’s up to you.
Roasting Time May Vary
One last note. Roasting time varies on many factors, including the size and shape of your food, the temperament of your oven, or even the material and color of your baking sheet. So, take my roasting time with a grain of salt.
If your vegetables are done before your meatloaves, take them out early and return the loaves to the oven until they finish. If the vegetables need more time and your meatloaves are done, plate up the meatloaf and return the vegetables to the oven. Use your senses and watch for doneness. And please use a thermometer to make sure your meatloaves are cooked to a safe temperature, 160ºF.
Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner
Servings 2Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 sweet potato (about 1 lb.) ($1.51)
- 12 oz. frozen broccoli florets ($1.19)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
- 1/2 tsp seasoning salt* ($0.05)
- salt and pepper to taste ($0.05)
BBQ Meatloaf
- 1/2 lb. ground beef ($2.50)
- 1 large egg ($0.26)
- 2 Tbsp bread crumbs ($0.12)
- 3 Tbsp BBQ sauce, divided ($0.26)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika ($0.03)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into 1/2 to 3/4″ cubes. Place the sweet potatoes and frozen broccoli florets (no need to thaw) on a large baking sheet.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the sweet potatoes and broccoli florets. Sprinkle the seasoning salt over the sweet potatoes and then season the broccoli florets with a pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss the vegetables until they are coated in oil and spices, keeping the sweet potatoes on one side of the baking sheet and the broccoli on the other.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and roast the vegetables for 15 minutes.
- While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the meatloaves. In a medium bowl combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, 1 Tbsp of the BBQ sauce, the smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Work the ingredients together with your hands or a fork until they are well combined. Divide the meatloaf mixture in two and shape each half into a flattened oval.
- After the vegetables have roasted for 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet and stir each of the vegetables. Push each off to the side a bit to make room for the meatloaves. Place the shaped meatloaves in the center and then spread 1 Tbsp of BBQ sauce over each loaf.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatloaves has reached 160ºF. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, plate up the meatloaves and vegetables, and serve immediately.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Sheet Pan BBQ Meatloaf Dinner – Step by Step Photos
Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. Peel and dice one sweet potato (about 1 pound) into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes. Place the cubes on a baking sheet along with 12 oz. frozen broccoli florets (no need to thaw first). Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over each, then season the sweet potatoes with your favorite seasoning salt and the broccoli with a pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss the vegetables (keeping each on its own side) until they are coated in oil and spices. Pop the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the meatloaf. Combine 1/2 lb. ground beef with 1 large egg, 2 Tbsp bread crumbs, 1 Tbsp BBQ sauce, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp garlic powder.
Mix the meatloaf ingredients together until evenly combined. Divide the mixture in half and then shape each half into a flattened oval. Just make sure they are the same thickness all the way through so they cook evenly.
After the vegetables have roasted for 15 minutes, take the baking sheet out of the oven, stir the vegetables, and push them to each side a bit to make room for the meatloaves. Place the meatloaves in the center and spread about 1 Tbsp BBQ sauce over top of each.
Now put it back into the hot oven for another 20 minutes or until the internal temp of the meatloaves reaches 160ºF. As I mentioned in the intro to this blog post, roasting time can vary depending on an almost endless number of factors, so keep an eye on the contents and use your senses to take them out early or add more time as needed.
And this is what it looks like when finished. The sweet potatoes should be soft and with some browning on the edges. The broccoli should also have some browning on the very edges.
Plate it up and enjoy!!
Just tried this, so good and SO easy! The flavor was simple and good, but nothing to write home about. However, the very simple prep and cleanup and variability to use what’s on hand (I had everything except bread crumbs – made my own) make this 5 stars. Was able to add carrots and double the meatloaf to make it a meal for 3 while still fitting on one pan. The timing of the broccoli sounded way too long, but it’s not! It came out perfectly. Next time I would double the salt in the meatloaf.
PS – used Jane’s Krazy Salt as the seasoning salt and it tasted great!
How would I cook raw broccoli? Would I need to steam it first then bake in the oven? Or would it cook the same?
You can steam it first, or you can just roast it longer. If you choose to roast it longer, you’ll just need to play it by ear, as it can depend a lot on the size of the florets. Make sure they’re well coated in oil, too, as it will dry out easier than frozen or steamed broccoli.
Can you replace the broccoli and sweet potatoes with brussel sprouts and frozen cauliflower? How would that affect the roasting time?
Yes, you could, but I’d need to do some testing to find out the proper cooking times. :)
This was so good! I used ground turkey and ketchup and it was great. I loved that it all cooked on one pan, so easy? What percentage of lean beef did you use/would you recommend? I think I did 85/15 ground turkey and I think there were a lot of drippings on the sheet pan. Also, how would you recommend reheating the leftovers for lunch – microwave vs. toaster over? Thanks!
I don’t remember what percentage I used for this one, but I typically buy either 85/15 or 90/10. I don’t own a toaster oven, so I don’t know how well that would do for reheating, I just used my microwave. :)
Just curious – doing Whole30, what could I use to replace the breadcrumbs?
Unfortunately I’m not familiar with the guidelines for Whole30, so I don’t have a suggestion for you, but maybe someone else who is doing Whole30 will see this and chime in with some ideas. :)
Made this recently and still can’t stop dreaming about how juicy and delectable that meatloaf was! Was a little less pleased with the sweet potatoes, but maybe they’d be better if I had tossed them with olive oil rather than drizzled.
Hi! Long time fan here with a question. Doesn’t this dramatically over cook the broccoli- 35 minutes in total? In my experience broccoli roasts real fast. I want to try this I just have concerns about the order of things. -Dora
It didn’t over cook it for me, but I think “over cooked” is highly subjective, especially when it comes to vegetables. Keep in mind that I used frozen broccoli, which is a lot more wet than raw broccoli, so it won’t dry out as quickly in the hot oven.
Hi, Beth, love the website! Quick question…can you use fresh broccoli rather than frozen?
Yes, but you may need to roast it longer. :)
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have been wanting meatloaf but my husband can no longer have potatoes and I was thrilled to find a good substitute.
We made this tonight, and it was a big hit, even DD6 loved everything.
I made this with ground turkey instead, and I can attest that the meatloaf still turned out to be juicy and flavorful. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
This came out really well! I might see about making more meat loaf next time, though, these two little loaves were gone super quickly.
Fantastic recipe, thank you!! Will be making again.
This was everything you claimed! Simple, fast, and delicious! I doubled the meatloaf part while keeping everything else the same, and I made three patties instead of two, but kept everything on one pan. Who knew you could roast frozen broccoli? Absolutely fantastic. Definitely going into the rotation.
(I also snuck a few chopped up pieces of cheese in the middle of my meatloaf patties. It was perfection.)
Hi!
This looks lovely. If I were to make smaller meatloaf, how long should I bake them?
Thanks!
I’d probably need to test it to be sure, but these meatloaves are already quite small. They are single serving-sized.