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The following recipe and photography is courtesy of Graham R. and his dog, Carl. For more of their delicious food ventures, visit them on Instagram @cookingwithcarrrl.
Today’s topic of discussion is Meatloaf Cupcakes! These cupcakes hit the gym and beefed up big time! We make these regularly at our house and keep them in the refrigerator for quick weeknight dinners. It’s one of those rare recipes where the leftovers taste better than the actual “fresh-out-of-the-oven” dish. This is a meal prepper’s dream! Each mini portion is cooked in a cupcake tin, ensuring that everyone gets those delicious crispy bits of the meatloaf. It’s a fun spin on a classic comfort food.
One of the key ingredients in any good meatloaf is ketchup, and lucky for us, Heinen’s has a new ketchup with 50% less sugar and sodium. It’s a “no brainer” to add this condiment to your saucy rotation, especially since I couldn’t even tell the difference from regular ketchup! Less sugar in your ketchup means you can add that sugar back into your diet with ice cream and cookies, you know, the good sugars!
This recipe also features crushed croutons as the binder. They add a ton of flavor and create the perfect texture when baked. You can use whatever you have on hand, but I recommend using the croutons.
I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that (aka share these meatball cupcakes).
- Cook time:
- 35min
- Prep time:
- 5min
- Total time:
- 40min
- Servings:
- 12 Meatloaf Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf Cupcakes
- 2 lbs. Heinen’s 85/15 CARE Certified ground beef
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3 Tbsp. ketchup
- 4 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley, divided
- 1 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup Italian seasoned croutons, crushed
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
For the Ketchup Glaze
- 1 cup Heinen’s 50% less sugar and sodium ketchup
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. hot honey
- 2 tsp. white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- In a large mixing bowl, gently combine all of the meatloaf ingredients. Do not over mix! Over mixing has been the downfall for many when cooking this delicious classic. If you over work the meat, it will become dense and take longer to bake.
- Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, honey and spices. Whisk.
- Lightly grease the cupcake tin and place 1/2 cup of the meatloaf mixture into each tin, being careful not to over pack them.
- Brush the tops with the ketchup glaze and bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and brush the tops with the glaze again. Use about a 1/2 Tbsp. per cupcake. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Brush the tops one last time and place them under the broiler for one minute. This will caramelize the ketchup glaze and intensify the flavors.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite green vegetable.
- Serve leftovers cold or slice and fry for sandwiches.
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