Meatloaf Cupcakes With Mashed Potato

Who doesn’t love miniature treats? Meatloaf is no exception! These adorable meatloaf cupcakes will have kids of all ages reaching for seconds. Plus, they only take 20 minutes to bake, compared to the usual hour for traditional meatloaf.

For the photo, I piped the mashed potatoes on top, but you can simply pile them on and give them a fluffy texture with a fork – it’s much quicker that way! Enjoy these delightful little bites with a big smile!

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 25 mins | Total: 40 mins

Ingredients

MEATLOAF CUPCAKES

• 1 lb / 500g beef mince (ground beef)
• 1 onion, grated (brown, white, or yellow)
• 2 small carrots, grated
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup tomato ketchup (or tomato sauce)
• 1 cup panko (or breadcrumbs)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• Pepper

MASHED POTATO

• 2 large or 3 medium potatoes
• 1 tbsp butter (optional)1/2 –
• 1 cup milk

GARNISH

• Tomato ketchup or sauce
• Parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

MEATLOAF CUPCAKES

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Spray 8 holes of a muffin tin.
3. Grate the onion and carrot straight into a large bowl.
4. Add the remaining meatloaf ingredients and use your hands to mix and combine well.
5. Scoop up 1/2 cup of mince and use your hands to form a rough ball shape. Press into the muffin tin. The surface should be a slight dome shape.
6. Repeat with the remaining mince. It should make about 8.
7. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until browned on top. Remove from oven.

MASHED POTATO

1. Peel and dice the potato. Steam or boil until soft but not waterlogged.
2. Drain, then add butter and 1/2 cup of milk. Mash using a potato masher until smooth or to your liking. Add extra milk if you need it. The mash needs to be creamy but stiff enough to hold its shape when piped or piled onto the Meatloaf Cupcakes.

ASSEMBLE

1. Smear a dollop of tomato ketchup on the Meatloaf Cupcakes.
2. Top with mashed potato, either by piping it or just dolloping it on with a spoon.
3. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley, if using.

Recipe Notes:

1. After topping with mashed potato, you could bake it for 10 minutes to brown it or place it on the grill /broiler for a few minutes. But I like the mashed potato without the crunchy surface – more like the icing you actually get on cupcakes!
2. To freeze, let the cupcakes cool then a fine skin will form on the mashed potato so the cling wrap won’t stick to it. Wrap in cling wrap and place in freezer. To reheat, thaw then reheat in the microwave or oven.

Nutrition per serving