Muffin Tin Monday: Muffin Tin Dinner and Mini Meatloaf Recipe

I was planning to continue theming my Muffin Tin Meals along the rainbow, but there seems to be a shortage of blue foods – especially since processed foods like Jell-o and Fruit Loops aren’t available in India. Not that Jell-o and Fruit Loops would make a very good meal. I thought about moving on to purple, or combining the two colors, but the only purple food I was able to find was small eggplant. Which cost the equivalent of one penny. Isn’t it cute?

Anyway, I ended up doing a dinner tin as our Muffin Tin Meal this week. I used a blue cup, blue fork, and our new blue star shaped muffin cups, but that’s as far as the blue theme went. Getting my four year old to eat real food is proving to be more and more of a struggle. She ate this meal ok, so I think I might try serving her food in a fun muffin tin more often than on Muffin Tin Mondays.

Our muffin tin dinner included a roll, butter for dipping, fried okra, meatloaf, cut into bites, and mashed potatoes, with sweet lime juice to drink.

Ironically, my favorite meatloaf recipe is baked in a muffin tin. The mini meatloaves are great for freezing leftovers, or sending in a packed lunch. Any meatloaf recipe could be used to make mini meatloaves, but I love this one from Kraft. It is super fast and easy to make, and the stuffing mix makes it so delicious. I like to use the sage flavored stuffing, but I will buy whatever is cheapest.

Mini Meatloaves Recipe

1 lb. ground beef
1 package Stove Top
1 c. water
ketchup
mozzarella cheese

Mix meat, stuffing mix and water until well blended. Press evenly into 12 medium muffin cups; make an indentation in the center of each. Squirt ketchup (about 1 tablespoon) into each indentation. Bake 30 minutes at 375, or until meatloaves are cooked through. Sprinkle each with cheese and continue baking 5 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Interested in learning more about Muffin Tin Meals?  Check out ways to save on Muffin Tin Meal supplies, and this week’s Muffin Tin Monday link-ups at Muffin Tin Mom.