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When you hear meatloaf, do you immediately think, B-O-R-I-N-G? I certainly do but my husband absolutely loves it! He’s such a meat and potatoes kinda guy! He orders it from time to time at a local soul food carryout restaurant and it always looks so blah to me!! BORING!!!

I thought I’d try to add a bit of fun and elegance to this traditionally boring, unappealing yet comforting dish. How about forming them into beautifully decorated savory cupcakes and making yummy garlic mashed potatoes for the icing. Huh??? You may ask? Everything is more appealing in cupcake form, right? Meatloaf included in my opinion! 🙂

The key to making this traditional comfort food really delicious is the moisture content. There is nothing worse than a dry piece of meatloaf, right? So when I do make this dish, I like to create a nice flavor blend of ground chuck and ground short rib to ensure the moistest texture. I guess I’ve been on a ground short rib kick lately. 🙂 Now that I’ve discovered the awesome butchers down at the Eastern Market, I’m always popping in to grab it and discovering great ways to use this delicious cut. In fact, ground short rib makes these savory cupcakes so moist that they practically melt in your mouth. Is that really possible with ground meat, you may ask? Yep! Ground short rib is the perfect answer! 🙂

After baking these delicious savory meatloaf cupcakes, I pipe garlic roasted Yukon potatoes on top to create a beauty of a meal.  I just love how they turned out! They look so fun and they make me wanna dig right in! They were certainly a big hit with the hubby and the rest of the family! I hope you’ll try this delicious spin on meatloaf and bring a little fun to the dinner table. Now when they see SAVORY MEATLOAF CUPCAKES on the week’s fall menu, the entire family (kids included) will look forward to this especially fun, delicious and comforting treat!

Are you mourning today? I thank God for His comfort through His Spirit. The Word of God says, Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 1 Corinthians 1:3-4 (KJV). In fact, just knowing that he’s always there in my time of need brings me comfort! He’s there just for you too! Say Grace and enjoy!!

Savory Meatloaf Cupcakes

Felesha Bell

The boring meatloaf gets a fun spin in these deliciously moist and savory ground short rib and chuck meatloaf cupcakes with a roasted garlic mashed potato icing!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Servings 5

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• Cupcakes
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 c. yellow onions chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves chopped
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 3 T. worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 c. chicken broth
• 1 T. tomato paste from tube
• 1 3/4 lbs. ground chuck
• 3/4 lbs. ground short rib
• 1/2 c. plain dry bread crumbs
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1/2 c. ketchup divided
• Icing
• 3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced
• 3 heads garlic
• 2 sticks butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/4 c. half and half
• kosher salt to taste
• white pepper to taste
• Chives garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut off the tops of the heads of garlic (paper intact), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place the heads inside aluminum foil and roast in the oven for about 35-40 min. Garlic should be soft and pliable when ready. Allow to cool. Squeeze the garlic cloves from paper and set aside.
• Place potatoes in a pot of water and boil for about 25-30 minutes. Potato should easily slide off fork when done.
• Drain them in a colander and return to the pot over low heat to remove the moisture.
• Add butter, cream cheese, half and half, roasted garlic, salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher until well combined.
• Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Spray 10 jumbo cupcake wells with cooking spray.
• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add onion, thyme, salt and pepper and saute on medium-low heat for about 8 minutes or until they become translucent in color. Remove from the heat.
• Add in the Worcestershire, chicken broth, tomato paste and stir until well combined. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the chuck, short rib, onion, bread crumbs, and eggs raking with two forks. This method will ensure that the loafs won't become tough.
• Using an ice cream scoop, scoop two scoops into each cupcake well. Pat the mixture slightly to ensure that the meat takes the shape of the well.
• Spread 1 T. of ketchup onto each cupcake and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the cupcake are cooked through.
• Using a piping bag, pipe the mashed potatoes onto the cupcakes in the design of your choice. Garnish with chives. Say Grace and enjoy!!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Adapted from Ina Garten’s Individual Meat Loaves