Everything tastes better in miniature form! And meatloaf is no exception. These cute little meatloaf cupcakes are irresistible to kids – big and small. And they bake in 20 minutes compared to about 1 hour for traditional meat loafs. I piped the mashed potato on for the photo but ordinarily I just pile it on then fluff it up with a fork – much faster!
“One of the reasons I like these is that they cook in around 20 minutes, compared to a full size meatloaf which usually takes around 1 hour.”
I really love meatloaf. But I find that to make a really good one, you need to make it big so you need to use at least 750g – 1kg /1.5 – 2 lb of mince. That is ALOT of meat! It is way too much for a family for one meal (unless you have an extraordinarily large one!). And to be honest, I am not the hugest fan of reheated slices of meatloaf. I don’t know why, but to me, meatloaf is one of those things that is sensational eaten fresh, then OK-ish the next day. Am I just fussy?
So one of the reasons I started making meatloaf in muffin tins is because they are great individual size portions. Because each “cupcake” is browned on the outside, I find that they reheat much better than slices of a large meatloaf.
“I piped the mashed potato on to make it look pretty for the photo. But ordinarily I just pile it on with a spoon then use a fork to fluff it up.”
The other reason I like making cupcake size meat loafs is because they cook much faster. A large meatloaf typically takes close to 1 hour to bake, whereas these little ones take around 20 – 25 minutes.
The added bonus is that kids find these irresistible! OK, so I admit it, part of the reason these look so cute is because I went to the effort of piping the mashed potato on. And no, I would not do that ordinarily! Usually I just pile the mashed potato on, then fluff it up with a fork.
“You can easily increase the amount of hidden vegetables in this.”
You can bake these after putting the mashed potato on if you want. The mashed potato will brown nicely, like in these Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins. However, I am partial to the mashed potato being soft and fluffy for this particular recipe, without a crunchy skin.
The other tip is to increase the hidden vegetables. I only added grated carrots (and onion which is part of the base recipe), but you can add whatever shredded or grated vegetables you want. Shredded cabbage and spinach suits this well, as does grated zucchini. The mince mixture is quite wet and sticky so it will be able to absorb a decent amount of extra vegetables and still hold together – 2 to 3 cups. If it does start to crumble, just add a squidge of extra tomato sauce and/or an egg to bind it.
These freeze really well. Once they have cooled, the mashed potato forms a thin skin so you can wrap them in cling wrap and it won’t stick to the potato. They also last well in the fridge for up to 2 days (probably 3, but I like to be cautious).
Love to hear if you give this a go! If you have any questions, just leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to respond! – Nagi x
More meatloaf recipes
I love a good meatloaf!
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Meatloaf – extra tasty, extra juicy, extra soft!
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Meatloaf Cupcakes With Mashed Potato
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
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Spray 8 holes of a muffin tin.
- Grate the onion and carrot straight into a large bowl.
- Add remaining meatloaf ingredients and use your hands to mix and combine well.
- 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.
- Repeat with remaining mince. It should make about 8.
- Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until browned on top. Remove from oven.
Mashed Potato
- Peel and dice the potato. Steam or boil until soft but not waterlogged.
- 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
- Smear a dollop of tomato ketchup on the Meatloaf Cupcakes.
- Top with mashed potato, either by piping it or just dolloping it on with a spoon.
- Serve with a sprinkle of parsley, if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This looks so tasty – I love mashed potatoes and meatloaf too. Also, what a great idea putting it together in a cupcake shape! Your piping is on point, I’m sure if you made cupcakes they’d be beautiful too!
Thanks Sarah!! I really find these irresistible. I’m such a kid at heart! 🙂
What a great idea to make meatloaf in mini versions! Not only do they look so cute but I bet they tasted even better…
Thanks Thalia!! And yes, the addition of mashed potato and ketchup, I do think it’s tastier! Plus you get more caramelisation 🙂
How in the world do you keep coming up with this stuff! You’re amazing – It’s like you have a genie in your recipe tin! 🙂 I love meatloaf, but it’s so bland looking. You’ve elevated the simple meatloaf into something to be put on a pedestal – a cupcake pedestal! Nicely done!
Thanks Kathleen! I have to admit, I had fun making this one. Honestly I made it to appeal to kids….but really, I made it for me!
Nagi, these are too cute! What a great way to make kids eat their protein. This would be a good one for my son- he does not like beef.
Thanks Imma! I am sure that you of all people can come up with creative ways to get your son to eat beef!
You have the most interesting and delicious recipes, Nagi! I love them! 😀
Awwww, thanks so much Lynne! I’m so touched!
Oh, wonderful! I just love that you’ve put ketchup both in and on the little meatloaf cups – you’re a true Aussie, obviously! (I had to be introduced to squirting ketchup on a pie by hubby when I first got to Oz! Now I’m a true convert 😉
Totally agree that miniature is often best, especially in this case. These are so much sexier than a big old traditional meatloaf! Love this one, Nagi!
All I can say is that you are SO LUCKY you met an Aussie hubby. You couldn’t possibly go through life without ketchup on pie!!
Such a smart idea, these look great Nagi! Can have some for lunch now 🙂 Pinned!
At the beginning as I saw the picture, I thought it’s a cupcake (dessert), I never thought to make savory cupcake…with mashed potato as a topping, brilliant idea Nagi. Bravo!
Thanks Amallia!! I know, some of my friends were really confused when they saw this photo too!!