Meatloaf Muffins

So, I enjoy a good meatloaf.  But they usually take an hour to bake and with that, I don't enjoy meatloaf that much to spend an hour waiting for dinner.  

And then years ago, I found this delicious recipe in a magazine. It's a Kraft recipe.  You can find the updated (also more complicated) recipe HERE.  I say complicated because you are given a list of a bunch of ingredients that you can determine on your own (through trial and error) which recipe you like.  I guess I like to KISS things.... KISS as in Keep It Simple Stupid. In the magazine article, the one that I love has only 5 ingredients (6, if you include the cup of water), and takes half the time!  

Meatloaf Muffins

(Can you see the cutest towhead (also my son Joshy) in the background? Yeah, he's coloring and watching Sesame street... that's how we hang out when I make dinner as Justin is on his way home from work.  Many times while cooking tonight, he kept yelling "mommy!" Then I would go over and color with him for a few seconds.  Hey -- whatever makes him happy! Can I get an AMEN?)

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 box of stuffing (we switch between different kinds)
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cups of BBQ sauce (we like to put different BBQ sauces on each muffin)
• 1 cup of mild cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Start by combining the ground beef, garlic powder, stuffing and 1 cup of water into a large mixing bowl.  By hand, gently mix the the ingredients until well combined.  Spray normal sized muffin pan (12 muffins) thoroughly with cooking spray.

Fill each muffin cup til they are 3/4 full.  At this point, I realized from my Costco ground beef, I grabbed too much so it was well over a pound - meaning my muffins were overflowing.    Once each muffin cup is full, press into the meat so there is a little bowl formation - for the BBQ sauce!  It's delicious I promise.

Pour the BBQ sauce into the bowl formation in each cup of meat. I used different BBQ sauce, which explains the different shades of brown in the picture above on the right. 

Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until meat is cooked. 

Sprinkle the cheese on top of each muffin. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I served mine with boxed Cheesy Scalloped potatoes and steamed green beans. 

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And here is a shorter version for your cookbook!

Meatloaf Muffins

http://stayinafloat.blogspot.com/p/meatloaf-muffins.html

• 1 lbs. ground beef
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 box of stuffing
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cups of BBQ sauce
• 1 cup of mild cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.    Start by combining the ground beef, garlic powder, stuffing and 1 cup of water into a large mixing bowl.  By hand, gently mix the the ingredients until well combined.  Spray normal sized muffin pan (12 muffins) thoroughly with cooking spray.   Fill each muffin cup til they are 3/4 full.  Once each muffin cup is full, press into the meat so there is a little bowl formation.  Pour the BBQ sauce into the bowl formation in each cup of meat. 

Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until meat is cooked. Sprinkle the cheese on top of each muffin. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.