Meatloaf “Cupcakes” with Mashed Potato Icing

Originally posted May 17, 2013

This is a super easy and fun recipe to make!  As a baker, I found the idea of creating a savory dinner dish as a cupcake to be inventive and just simply cool!  The portion sizes in this meatloaf are easily controlled, and they can help make even the pickiest eater want to join in on this awesome “dessert” for dinner.

I mixed and match from a couple of different websites when working on this recipe – most notably from http://www.firstlookthencook.com and http://www.bettycrocker.com

-Britt

Ingredients:

Meatloaf

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (raw)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp prepared mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• Cooking Spray

Mashed Potatoes

• 6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (I prefer Yukon Gold)
• 1/4 cup herb butter
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup skim milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray and set aside.

3) Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chopped onion,  chopped carrots, dried oregano and minced garlic; saute for 2 minutes.  Allow mixture to cool.

4) Combined sauteed vegetables, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl.

5)  Spoon the meatloaf mixture into the prepared muffin cups, and top each muffin with 1 tablespoon ketchup.

6) Bake for 25 minutes or until the meat reaches 160 degrees.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

7) Meanwhile, place potatoes in a 3-quart saucepan and cover with cold salted water.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and cook potatoes until the centers can easily be pierced with a fork (about 20 minutes).  Drain and return to saucepan.

8) Add herb butter and 1/4 cup milk; mash until creamy and smooth.  Add more milk as necessary to obtain the desired consistency.  Make sure mashed potatoes are creamy and smooth enough to be piped onto the meat loaves.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.

9) Remove meat loaf from muffin cups.  Then, place mashed potatoes in a decorating bag without tip.  In a circular motion, pipe mashed potatoes onto each meat loaf cupcake.

10) Plate and enjoy! :D

Tips:

• If desired, garnish the cupcakes with parsley, bacon crumbles, and/or chopped chives to add some color and additional flavor to the dish.
• If you can’t find herb butter in your local grocery store or market, add fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, or oregano to 1/4 cup butter.  Use 1 tablespoon when using fresh herbs and 1 teaspoon when using dried herbs.
• If you do not have a decorating pastry bag, you can substitute a resealable plastic bag and cut off one corner to “pipe” out of.
• Use muffin cups and/or foil to line the muffin for easy removal of the meat loaves.