12 Best Recipes for Leftover Meatloaf

meatloaf on cutting board shot overhead — Brett Stevens / Getty Images

After enjoying it for a family dinner, it's almost always guaranteed that you'll have leftover meatloaf. With a good meatloaf recipe, you can also purposely make more than needed and easily get two meals out of one. It's a great way to stretch your grocery budget.

Leftover meatloaf doesn't have to be boring. It's surprisingly versatile and you can use that extra meatloaf for anything from spaghetti to quiche and grilled sandwiches to tacos. These recipes will offer plenty of inspiration and help you create an easy meal that everyone is sure to love.

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Meatloaf Spaghetti

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Nearly any recipe that uses ground beef or sausage is a good candidate for leftover meatloaf. A classic dish like spaghetti is a perfect example. The seasoned meat is a nice complement to pasta and a jar of your favorite sauce. This meatloaf spaghetti recipe makes the family favorite even quicker and easier to pull together, even on the busiest weeknights.
02 of 12

Quick Meatloaf Chili

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In less than an hour, you can transform that meatloaf into a delicious, steaming pot of chili. This recipe is perfect for those last-minute chili cravings on cold winter nights. It's likely that you already have most of the ingredients required, and you can make it as spicy or mild as you want.
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Meatloaf Shepherd's Pie

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Leftover meals are all about using up whatever you have in the kitchen, reducing food waste, and saving money. Few recipes are more resourceful than a delicious shepherd's pie. Toss in some leftover potatoes, explore the crisper for veggies, and season it to your heart's content. The possibilities are endless and it's really hard to go wrong with this one!
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Meatloaf Sliders

Meatloaf Sliders.
The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

With a bit of forethought, it's easy to create meatloaf sliders for a second meal. While this recipe includes the meatloaf, you can also simply make mini meatloaves from your favorite recipe. Whether you use a muffin tin to create slider-sized bites or mini loaf pans for smaller slices, it's a fun meal the entire family will enjoy.

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Grilled Meatloaf Sandwich

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A simple sandwich will get rid of that meatloaf in no time. There's no need to just slap it between two slices of the average bread, though! Enjoy this hearty grilled meatloaf sandwich on ciabatta bread with a little mustard and mayo. Add Havarti or Swiss cheese and you'll have an irresistible melt in minutes.
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Meatloaf Tacos

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It only makes sense that tacos are also a great option for leftover meatloaf. Again, the meat's already cooked, so half of the work is done. With this meatloaf taco recipe, all you have to do is mix the meat with refried beans to create tender taco meat. Set out favorite toppings like salsa, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, and let your family build their own deliciously frugal tacos.
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Unstuffed Peppers Casserole

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Ground beef casseroles make meatloaf disappear! Use your leftover meatloaf for a portion of the ground beef in this unstuffed peppers casserole. It has all the tasty flavors of stuffed peppers but is much simpler to make. With just 15 minutes of prep, you can have dinner on the table in an hour.
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Beef Cheese Pan Quiche

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For something a little different, use your leftover meatloaf in this fantastic beef cheese pan quiche. It's a surprisingly easy dish and the flavors of any classic meatloaf recipe will be a good match for the herbs and cheese. If you don't have a full pound of meatloaf, don't worry. Just use what you have. It may be a little lighter on the beef but it will still taste great.

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Meat Lover's Pizza

The Spruce Eats / Anita Schecter

Anything can go on a pizza, even meatloaf! It's the ideal substitute for sausage or pepperoni and the meat is already cooked. This meat lover's pizza recipe can be as simple as using store-bought pizza dough and sauce, or you can make them. You can also scrounge extra toppings from the fridge and use up ingredients that may otherwise go to waste.
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Leftover Stroganoff

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Keep this 30-minute stroganoff recipe on hand for any meat leftovers. It works just as well for meatloaf as it does for cooked cubes of beef, chicken, or pork. Though the creamy egg noodle stroganoff is made entirely from scratch, the ingredients are all kitchen staples. It's filling and inexpensive to make, too.
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Indulgent Mac and Cheese

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This mac and cheese dish is intended to be meat-free, but it's a delicious venue for meatloaf. No matter how much you have, simply crumble it up and mix it into the baking dish. Switch from chicken to beef broth and you've just turned a side dish into a next-day main that's fantastic with homemade bread.
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Balsamic and Basil Bruschetta

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When you have just a little meatloaf leftover, turn it into a quick and delicious appetizer, light lunch, or snack. A recipe like this balsamic and basil bruschetta is a simple way to do just that. The sliced baguettes are topped with all sorts of fresh ingredients, including tomatoes, garlic, basil, and parsley. Add a small slice of meatloaf under all of that and a delicious bite is ready to enjoy.

12 Scrumptious Leftover Meatloaf Recipes

Stretch Your Money and Make a Second Meal