I’ve been anxious to share this recipe for a few reasons: it’s delicious, it’s easy, it’s cheap, it’s quick. That about sums it up.
I’ve never been a huge fan of meatloaf, but after I made these mealoaf muffins for the first time, I quickly changed my tune. Even my husband is obsessed with them and requests them just about every birthday and Father’s Day. They are great for kids too, because the muffins create the perfect portion size. I like to serve them with baked potato wedges (a healthy version of french fries, and so simple to make), and a veggie. The recipe is originally from Cooking Light Magazine (March 2006), and it’s a healthy meal at only 276 calories per muffin.
Tips:
- I like to make it with ground turkey instead of beef to cut down on the fat content.
- I’ve found that it’s really easy clean-up if you use silicone muffin baking cups; the meatloaf pops right out of them and they are a cinch to clean. Before I discovered those, I was spending a lot of time scrubbing burnt meat off my muffin pans (even though I used cooking spray).
- ½ the recipe below feeds my family of three with leftovers for the next day’s lunch. Sometimes I make the full recipe and freeze half the mixture (prior to baking) for dinner another time.
Meatloaf Muffins (Print Recipe)
Yield: 6 servings (1 serving = 2 muffins)
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup ketchup, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw) or ground turkey
- 1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
- 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- Cooking spray
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.
Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.
Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.
