Everything tastes better in miniature form! And meatloaf is no exception. These cute little meatloaf cupcakes are irresistible to kids – big and small. And they bake in 20 minutes compared to about 1 hour for traditional meat loafs. I piped the mashed potato on for the photo but ordinarily I just pile it on then fluff it up with a fork – much faster!
“One of the reasons I like these is that they cook in around 20 minutes, compared to a full size meatloaf which usually takes around 1 hour.”
I really love meatloaf. But I find that to make a really good one, you need to make it big so you need to use at least 750g – 1kg /1.5 – 2 lb of mince. That is ALOT of meat! It is way too much for a family for one meal (unless you have an extraordinarily large one!). And to be honest, I am not the hugest fan of reheated slices of meatloaf. I don’t know why, but to me, meatloaf is one of those things that is sensational eaten fresh, then OK-ish the next day. Am I just fussy?
So one of the reasons I started making meatloaf in muffin tins is because they are great individual size portions. Because each “cupcake” is browned on the outside, I find that they reheat much better than slices of a large meatloaf.
“I piped the mashed potato on to make it look pretty for the photo. But ordinarily I just pile it on with a spoon then use a fork to fluff it up.”
The other reason I like making cupcake size meat loafs is because they cook much faster. A large meatloaf typically takes close to 1 hour to bake, whereas these little ones take around 20 – 25 minutes.
The added bonus is that kids find these irresistible! OK, so I admit it, part of the reason these look so cute is because I went to the effort of piping the mashed potato on. And no, I would not do that ordinarily! Usually I just pile the mashed potato on, then fluff it up with a fork.
“You can easily increase the amount of hidden vegetables in this.”
You can bake these after putting the mashed potato on if you want. The mashed potato will brown nicely, like in these Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins. However, I am partial to the mashed potato being soft and fluffy for this particular recipe, without a crunchy skin.
The other tip is to increase the hidden vegetables. I only added grated carrots (and onion which is part of the base recipe), but you can add whatever shredded or grated vegetables you want. Shredded cabbage and spinach suits this well, as does grated zucchini. The mince mixture is quite wet and sticky so it will be able to absorb a decent amount of extra vegetables and still hold together – 2 to 3 cups. If it does start to crumble, just add a squidge of extra tomato sauce and/or an egg to bind it.
These freeze really well. Once they have cooled, the mashed potato forms a thin skin so you can wrap them in cling wrap and it won’t stick to the potato. They also last well in the fridge for up to 2 days (probably 3, but I like to be cautious).
Love to hear if you give this a go! If you have any questions, just leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to respond! – Nagi x
More meatloaf recipes
I love a good meatloaf!
- Meatloaf – extra tasty, extra juicy, extra soft!
- Italian Meatloaf with Marinara Sauce
- Chicken Meatloaf Wellington with Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Meatloaf Cupcakes With Mashed Potato
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Meatloaf Cupcakes With Mashed Potato
Ingredients
Meatloaf Cupcakes
- 1 lb / 500g beef mince (ground beef)
- 1 onion , grated (brown, white or yellow)
- 2 small carrots , grated
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup tomato ketchup (or tomato sauce)
- 1 cup panko (or breadcrumbs)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- Pepper
Mashed Potato
- 2 large or 3 medium potatoes
- 1 tbsp butter (optional)
- 1/2 - 1 cup milk
Garnish
- Tomato ketchup or sauce
- Parsley , finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
Meatloaf Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Spray 8 holes of a muffin tin.
- Grate the onion and carrot straight into a large bowl.
- Add remaining meatloaf ingredients and use your hands to mix and combine well.
- Scoop up 1/2 cup of mince and use your hands to form a rough ball shape. Press into the muffin tin. The surface should be a slight dome shape.
- Repeat with remaining mince. It should make about 8.
- Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until browned on top. Remove from oven.
Mashed Potato
- Peel and dice the potato. Steam or boil until soft but not waterlogged.
- Drain, then add butter and 1/2 cup of milk. Mash using a potato masher until smooth or to your liking. Add extra milk if you need it. The mash needs to be creamy but stiff enough to hold its shape when piped or piled onto the Meatloaf Cupcakes.
Assemble
- Smear a dollop of tomato ketchup on the Meatloaf Cupcakes.
- Top with mashed potato, either by piping it or just dolloping it on with a spoon.
- Serve with a sprinkle of parsley, if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Thank you for this, Nagi! This made even my picky people happy. I got crafty and added a little mustard for some brightness and tang. Delish, and much easier and faster than I expected. Can’t wait to do some make-aheads with this.
I haven’t made this yet. I was wondering if it would be good with lamb mince?
Hi there! I’m going to be making these this weekend but wasn’t sure how lean of beef you used? I have an 80/20 in my freezer and a 93/7. I’m thinking the 80/20 but just wanted to be sure!
Definitely skip lean mince here (use the 80/20) – otherwise you’ll end up with dry meatloaf! ❤️
has anyone made these in mini muffin tins? Just wondering if they would make a nice finger food.
I made these in a mini-muffin tin and a big tin. The mini ones were like little meatballs with tasty mash. Turned out great! Will definitely use again, probably in loaf form to get those tasty meatloaf sandwiches.
I just made today. Would probably make good finger food. I baked one by itself first to see how it came out and grease was coming out over the sides of pan so did not grease the pan on second try. When using regular hamburger, it has plenty of grease already without adding more to it in pan.
They came out tasty. Carrots make an interesting texture and I used Idahoan brand Applewood Smoked Bacon instant potatoes for topping.
I am going to make these for a group of friends but before I do what is the reason you used garlic powder versus fresh garlic sautéed with the onion? Also if I make and bake ahead is there any drying out once frozen and reheated?
Thank you
Pam
Hi Pam, you could definitely substitute fresh garlic if you prefer. These should be perfect to freeze!
Great, Great, Great!! A hit with my family!! My 10yr old son is picky about foods touching each other and he loved this! I make my own brown sugar sauce and use crushed town house crackers instead of bread crumbs!! Nagi you are a genius!! Ty for your recipes!!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit!! Except for bread crumbs I always use crushed up TownHouse crackers and I have my own brown sugar glaze I make. Were not a big ketchup eating family. Thank you for your recipes!!
This is great. I added some minced onion instead of fresh but it’s so good. I don’t have a meatloaf pan so cupcakes is easier. I’ve made this 4 times in a few months.
Terrific to hear you enjoyed this Steph!! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know – N x
This was easy to make and the cooking time was less than doing a loaf. Added mushrooms, green peppers, carrots and onions to the meat(used ground turkey) . The potatoes were great. Delicious . May never do a loaf again. 😋
🙌🏻 🙌🏻 LOVE hearing that! Thanks for letting me know! N x
These mini meatloaf muffins were fantastic! My son , who a picky toddler, loved them. Having him help was also fun. The idea of resembling a cupcake was an added touch..
I’m so pleased he enjoyed this Enrica! Thanks for letting me know! N x
will potatoes dry up when reheating