These mini Meatloaf Muffins are perfect for a family meal served alongside some creamy mash and vegetables. Any leftovers could even be eaten cold in lunch-boxes the next day, or frozen for another time.
My mini Meatloaf Muffins are a fun way to serve a classic recipe to your family. Meatloaf Muffins may well appeal to children more than a slice, or even a chunk, of the regular shaped meatloaf would too. By making them in a muffin tray, you automatically get individual portions ready to serve to your family.
Also, if you were to double the ingredients and make extra portions of the meatloaf muffins, then you could freeze them for another time. This is because while the preparation does not take that long really, when time is of the essence it is reassuring to know you have them ready to defrost in the morning. That way you can just pop them into the oven when you get home after a busy day. Hence, a homemade nutritious dinner is almost ready to serve to your family.
Very Lazy Way To Make Meatloaf Muffins
I was recently sent a selection of Very Lazy products. You might be familiar with these handy jars (containing chopped ingredients) and tubes (purees) of spices and seasonings.
In fact I often use the garlic one myself, as time is too short to press my own garlic each time or have to slice it finely. Now do not get me wrong, I love garlic. However, it does make your fingers smell for some time after dinner preparation has finished!
When it came to devising the recipe for my Meatloaf Muffins, I decided to give them a little bit of subtle heat and smokiness. Therefore, I added some smoked paprika (my own from my spice cupboard), and some generous tea spoons of Very Lazy smoked chopped garlic, and half a tea spoon of Very Lazy chopped red chillies.
My recipes uses a mixture of pork and beef mince for added flavour, combined with onion, carrot and apple to ensure my meatloaves were moist and tasty once cooked. You could of course just use one type of meat, and I am sure that turkey mince would make delicious meatloaf muffins also.
Before, they go into the oven, I topped each meatloaf muffin with a little passata to stop the top of each one from burning inside the oven.
Meatloaf Muffins : A perfect Family Meal
The meatloaves take about 45-50 minutes to cook in the oven. Of course they could easily be served alongside some pasta covered in a simple tomato and herb sauce, or even an arrabiata settler sauce would work too, with some garlic breads and salad. However, I chose to serve ours with some creamy double potato mash (a mixture of sweet and Maris Piper potatoes) and some healthy vegetables.
These were really delicious, and packed full of flavour and not dry at all. You could pick up a very subtle heat from those chillies, but it had a lovely depth of flavour which I believe came from the smoky chopped garlic .
The Recipe for Meatloaf Muffins
Please find my recipe and method in full below:
- 250g pork mince
- 250g beef mince
- 50g breadcrumbs
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 small apple, finely grated
- 2 tsp Very Lazy smoked chopped garlic
- ½ tsp Very Lazy chopped red chillies
- 1 - 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 500ml passata
- 1 tsp sugar
- dried thyme
- Pre-heat oven to 200C or 180C (fan oven)
- In a non stick pan, spray some Frylight (or use a spoonful of oil) and add the onion, carrot and apple. You need to cook this over a low heat to allow them to soften, which takes about 10 mins. Into a large bowl, add the meat, the breadcrumbs, the beaten egg, the Very lazy ingredients, the paprika, 1 tsp of thyme and 250ml of the passata.
- Once softened, add the onion, carrot and apple and using clean hands, give the mixture a good mix.
- Take 2 x 6 hole muffin trays and spray each hole with a little of the Frylight .
- Then press spoonfuls of the mince mixture into each hole, up to the top.
- In another bowl, pour in the remaining passata and sugar and nix well.
- Then pour a spoonful of the passata on to the top of each meaty muffin.
- Lastly, scatter a little thyme on the top of each one
- Bake for 45 -50 mins until cooked through
Thank you to Very Lazy for sending me some products to review.
this week hosted by Eb
Recipes Made Easy
I dont know about appealing to kids but these appeal to me although I would probably make them in a bigger muffin tin. My now very big boys would scoff a small in in one mouthful!
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Oh how cute are these? What a fab idea, making them muffin sized…and such lovely flavours…I do love the sound of the Very Lazy products – they sound perfect for making an easy peasy midweek meal! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare! Eb x
Midge @Peachicks' Bakery
Ooh yum! these would be great for the Peachicks lunchboxes! Thanks for sharing I’m definitely off to pin these!
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food
I love, love, LOVE the idea of these meatloaf muffins! How fun! If my mom had made something like this for us when we were kids, I’m sure it wouldn’t have taken me 40+ years to decide that I love meatloaf!
joskitchenlarder
These look lush and I know for a fact that my kids would love them. I like the fact that you’ve added veggies and an apple to the mixture and that smoky garlic, mmm, might have to get some. Perfect family recipe. Pinned x
Monika
Your very lazy meatloaf muffins look super delicious, and I love your creative idea of using a muffin pan! Stumbled:)
Jenny Paulin
Thank you 🙂