I feel the same way about meatloaf that I do about meatballs. Ugh! The name! It really is gag inducing. I will eat a bite of it and be enjoying it, but then it always happens… I start to think, “I am eating a loaf of meat.” A shaped form of meat. M. E. A. T. And then I will push it to the side and eat my mashed potatoes. Which, really isn’t winning any name contests of its own anytime soon.
I sure know how to sell a recipe, don’t I?
Well, this is all to say my husband LOVES meatloaf.
Loves.
And I like to make him happy. Making him happy makes me happy. I am hoping when he reads this he will remember this meal and my sentiments and not the dress that came in the mail today.
So, sometimes I form a mashed-together-pile-of-meat into a loaf. Just for him. I’m a keeper.
Still selling this recipe, aren’t I? Bear with me.
A few years ago, I made a batch of spicy meatloaf muffins (that recipe is not the one featured here). The kids liked the meatloaf made in muffin tins. I liked not having to cut a loaf of meat. Swallow. Breathe. And the other day I decided to make meatloaf muffins again using a variation of my meatball recipe. Would that make these meat muffins? There has to be a better name!
I served the meat muffins over mashed potatoes and it was so good. My husband actually groaned. And in a good way, not in a, “these recipe names are disgusting,” way that you are doing now.
I will absolutely keep making these little round suns of meaty happiness over clouds of potatoes. They are easy. They are fun. And everyone liked them.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound of ground beef (I like 96/4 so that there is not a huge layer of fat on top of the meat at the end. I hate that!)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup diced Onions cooked sautéed in 2 Tbsp. butter
Pinch chili flakes
2 Tablespoons of Dalmatia My Mom’s Red Pepper Spread (any kind of red pepper spread is good. I also really like the one Trader Joe’s carries)
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 clove or 1/2 tsp. of minced garlic (sautéed at the last minute with the onions)
1/4-1/2 cup ketchup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease muffin pans. This will yield eight meatloaf muffins.
Your package of meats are probably about one pound each. If that is true, split each package in half and save the remainder of the meats for another meal. I used mine as a substitute for the whole pound of meat in the coffee ground spaghetti recipe that I love. It was delicious.
In a small pan, sauté onions in the butter for 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for an additional one minute.
Add butter, garlic and onions to a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for five minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients except ketchup and mix with hands until incorporated. You do not want to over mix. Just make sure everything is together.
Now with an ice cream scoop, scoop meat into muffin pan.
Repeat until all meat is in the pans. Now layer ketchup over each muffin so that no meat pokes through.
Place in oven and bake for twenty-twenty five minutes. I removed mine at twenty two minutes and cut open one to make sure it was done inside. I know this goes against every culinary rule (but, I mean really, we’re making meatloaf muffins here. How technically accurate do I need to be?), but I rest my meatloaf muffins on a paper towel for two minutes because I do not like the excess fat.
I served mine on top of mashed potatoes.
And it was good, despite the flaw of its name. It had a perfect blend of flavors and the creamy mashed potatoes brought it all together. I am actually craving them as I write this. I am a meatloaf convert. Let’s just keep this between us.
Shakespeare once wrote,
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Well…
“Meatloaf by any other name will still taste of meat.”
Hmmmm… still not sure I’m sellin’ these right.
My husband will love these too! Going to try them! I do eat meat & like it. But the word meat is unappetizing. I also have issues of meals with multiple meats involved. My friends all know I’m notva multiple meat kind of gal. Like those meat lover’s pizzas? Ugh. No. Although if the 2nd meat involved is bacon, all bets are off.
Ha! I cannot eat Cordon Bleu for that exact reason! Although I used two different types of meat here, it was all ground so I can ignore it. I thought I was the only one who had that aversion!
I hope he likes them if you try them. My family ate them all up! : )
Have a delightful week!
Jenni
My friends all think I’m crazy. Happy to have found another multiple meat hater! Haaa! Ugh. Cordon Bleu. No thank you.
These looks so yummy. I think the beautiful muffin pans make them extra fancy 🙂 I will have to try this recipe out. I love a good meat muffin!
Thanks Alicia! I live in constant fear of something happening to those tins. I am such a hoarder I have an extra pretty ceramic set in storage just in case. ; )
Sweet dreams!
Jenni
You know, I’ve never had a problem with “meatballs” or “meatloaf” until I read your post. 😛 I’m actually not a huge fan of meatloaf, but I love meatballs. These look delicious, especially with mashed potatoes, I love mashed potatoes.
Not a big fan of meatloaf either, but I love meatballs too =)
Will have to make this soon…Yumm!
How do you make your mashed potatoes, put anything special in them?
I love how creamy there are!! Mashed potatoes are always good :0) ♥
Thank you! I actually use my mashed potato recipe http://gnomelover.com/2013/04/14/mashed-potatoes/
I love creamy mashed potatoes! : )
Have a super Friday!
Jenni
Ha! : ). Sorry about that!
They are kind of like meatballs! And thank you! I plan on making more very soon!
Have a fabulous Friday!
Jenni
Those muffin tins are gorgeous!
I understand your aversion to meatloaf. I never liked it even when I was eating meat. I don’t know why guys love it so much. Same with Sloppy Joes which is really just meatloaf with spaghetti sauce on a bun. In school the boys were always so excited when it was Sloppy Joe day for lunch. I did not like Sloppy Joe day. They all gleefully got food all over their faces. Made me lose my appetite. lolololol
Thank you Cynthia! They were a great sale score from Anthropologie a few years ago. I try to use them whenever possible. Oh man! I love sloppy joes! I mean love! : ). The name is cute and does not contain the word meat. Just a friendly guy named Joe. I can’t decide if that is more disturbing. ; )
Have an awesome Friday!
Jenni
meatloaf muffins look amazing!! haha I have to try this!
Thank you! I really appreciate that! : )
Have a marvelous Friday!
Jenni
I love meat loaf. It really has the grossest name, though. Kind of like “Dress Barn.” What type of woman are they trying to attract?
Anyways, I grew up on meatloaf. I make it the same way my mom always did. A couple of years ago, friends had us over for dinner and made meatloaf muffins similar to these. I thought they were so tasty! I like them baked in the tins because they get more of that nice brown crust. Which is also delicious but still sounds gross.
Kyle and I looked up your tamale bake earlier this week and picked up all the ingredients. We’re making it this weekend. I’m so excited to try it!
We haven’t made meatloaf yet this fall. I’ll have to try this variation and bake them in the muffin cups!
<3 Liz
http://www.withwonderandwhimsy.com
Thank you Liz! I agree that the crusty edges are definitely the best part! I thought of that the other day, after I posted the recipe, of course. I always think of things that I want to say after a post is all ready up. Does that ever happen to you?
Oh my goodness! Am so nervous and excited about you trying the tamale recipe. It is so easy! I created it for my friends who don’t cook. And you are a fabulous cook! I hope you like it! : )
Have a fun Friday! Congratulations on your launch today!
Jenni
I actually like meatloaf. These look good and I like your tin too. I know what you mean though that meatloaf isn’t considered by some to be the height of culinary cuisine but is can be delicious and comforting at the same time.
Last week I went to dinner with some friends who wanted to order a glass of wine. The waiter suggested they NOT order the house red. He said it was Spanish and terrible. My Spanish friend who appreciates wines and is from a prominent wine region was a little taken aback and wanted to know exactly what wine region it came from so the waiter brought us the bottle to review. After studying the bottle, my friend said its area of orgin does not even produce wine and suggested the restaurant had been “taken” by their wine seller. I am NOT knowledgeable of wines and was curious why my friend said what he did. I asked to see the bottle too. I read the description of its notes and thought they sounded a little gross and then I read farther down the label and it said “pairs well with meatloaf” and even I, the meatloaf lover, knew NOT to order that wine.
Thank you! Oh my goodness! That is so funny that the wine said it would be good paired with meatloaf! I have never heard of that before. I hope it was at least cheap wine. Expensive wine to pair with meatloaf would blow my mind! : ). Thank you for the smile tonight! I love that story!
Have a sweet Friday!
Jenni
Oh my. Jenni, these are absolutely heavenly. I made them tonight and my husband and I ate (so embarrassed) 3 each!! And so I want to eat the last 2! Maybe my midnight snack 😉 Thank you so, so much for sharing this recipe. We will be making these always and forever.
Hooray! You made my whole day! Thank you so much for trying them and for letting me know! I am SO glad that you liked them! Truly my whole week is made.
Have a sweet week!
Jenni