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Kid Friendly Food: Meatloaf Muffins

ByShannah Published: Updated:

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Kids are a funny bunch. They can be the pickiest eaters on the planet and forget trying to get them to eat any vegetables. These kid friendly meatloaf muffins are a perfect way to make a classic dinner more kid friendly! 

My kids love finger foods of just about any type.  I decided to try and make a few of favorite homemade meals into a more kid friendly size.  When the macaroni and cheese “cupcakes” were such a big hit, I decided to try turning our regular meatloaf into little muffins. {You can call them cupcakes if you want because most kids will eat anything that is called a cupcake.}

I typically don’t like the term “kid friendly food” because it refers to a set of foods that are typically tasteless and majorly lacking in nutrition.  Think: chicken nuggets, hot dogs and the link.  Here, I’m referring to something a litte different: size and shape!

A great thing about meatloaf is that it is pretty easy to hide additional vegetables in the mixture.  These have carrots in them but you could also throw in zucchini or another squash too. Just finely chop or shred it and add to the pan when sweating the onions.

I use an ice cream scoop to put the mixture into my muffin tin but a spoon works fine too. The little silicone cupcake lines are perfect for getting the meatloaf muffins out easily. 

These bake in less than 30 minutes which is super fast compared to traditional meatloaf. When I am doing Sunday meal prep, I get them all assembled and then just keep them in the fridge until I am ready to bake. You can also freeze them prior to baking too.

For a little fun, we will do mashed potato frosting on top. Of course, it is totally optional. 

 

If you like these kid friendly meatloaf muffins, be sure to try:

Essential Items Needed for this Recipe:

If you make these kid friendly meatloaf muffins, I’d love to hear to about it. Let me know in the comments or snap a photo and tag it #MySuburbanKitchen on Instagram or Twitter.

Kid Friendly Meatloaf Muffins

Print Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 cup onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 carrot finely chopped
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup ketchup divided
  • 1 lb ground beef or turkey
  • 1 cup panko crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp mustard
  • 2 tsp worchestershire sauce
  • 2 eggs

Mashed Potato Frosting (Optional)

  • 1 cup prepared mashed potatoes
  • 2 Tbsp milk

Instructions

  • 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cups of muffin tin with cooking spray or use silicone cupcake liners.
  • 2) In a pan coated with cooking spray, saute onion, carrot, garlic and oregano for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove from heat and cool.
  • 3) In a large bowl, combine beef or turkey, 1/2 cup ketchup, and all other ingredients {through eggs}. Mix well to combine. The easiest way to do this is with your hands so go ahead and plan to get them a little messy.
  • 4) Using an ice cream scooper {or large spoon}, fill muffin cups 3/4 full with meatloaf mixture. Divide remaining ketchup evenly on the tops of the muffins. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
  • 5) If using the frosting, mix the mashed potatoes with 2 Tbsp of milk. “Frost” the top of the meatloaf muffins with the mashed potato mixture before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 652mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a comment below, snap a photo and tag it #MySuburbanKitchen on Instagram, or pin it to your Pinterest account!
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17 Comments

  1. Those are SO awesome!! I loved that you put mashed potatoes on top like the icing…so creative. Feel free to stop by my link party and share some of your fantastic recipes!

    Reply

    1. Thanks! My kids love cupcakes so I thought making these little meatloaves into things that looked like cupcakes would be super fun.

      Reply

    1. Thanks! The kids loved the “frosting” on the top too. It definitely made them more fun to eat.

      Reply

    1. Thanks! The kids {and adults} around here really love these. The little bit of “frosting” makes them feel like a treat vs. dinner.

      Reply

    1. Thanks! The kids really love the idea that they are cupcakes with frosting. They are always a huge hit.

      Reply

  9. You make me want to lick my screen. Those look amazing! Now, i must say that I won’t be piping on the potatoes all nicely, as a big dollop would work just as well in my house 🙂
    Found you on Make it Pretty Monday.

    Reply