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Home Dietary Gluten Free Recipes

Meatloaf Cupcakes With Mashed Potato

By:Nagi
Published:9 Nov '14Updated:21 Mar '19
63 Comments
Recipe v

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!

Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato topping on a grey tray, ready to be served.

“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.

Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato topping on a grey tray, ready to be served with tomato ketchup on the side.

“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

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Beef, Dinner
5 from 18 votes
Servings8
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Everything tastes better in miniature form! These Meatloaf Cupcakes are made extra irresistible by piling on mashed potato. These freeze very well. They are also great for hiding vegetables. I only added grated carrot, but you can mix in whatever vegetables you want. Finely chopped spinach or cabbage would blend in well, as would grated zucchini.

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:

1. After topping with mashed potato, you could bake it for 10 minutes to brown it, or place it until the grill /broiler for a few minutes. But I like the mashed potato without the crunchy surface – more like the icing you actually get on cupcakes!
2. To freeze, let the cupcakes cool then a fine skin will form on the mashed potato so the cling wrap won't stick to it. Wrap in cling wrap and place in freezer. To reheat, thaw then reheat in the microwave or oven.
3. Nutrition per serving.
Meatloaf Cupcakes Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 190gCalories: 263cal (13%)Carbohydrates: 23.9g (8%)Protein: 23.3g (47%)Fat: 7.9g (12%)Saturated Fat: 3.4g (21%)Cholesterol: 99mg (33%)Sodium: 588mg (26%)Potassium: 592mg (17%)Fiber: 2.7g (11%)Sugar: 5.2g (6%)Vitamin A: 2300IU (46%)Vitamin C: 19.8mg (24%)Calcium: 100mg (10%)Iron: 12.1mg (67%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 

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63 Comments

  1. marni winslow says

    February 4, 2021 at 12:45 pm

    These were fantastic! So moist, made exactly as directed. Thank you! I will post pics and tag you on IG! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Connie M Dickman says

    January 2, 2021 at 6:14 pm

    Where have you been all my life? I’m making your meatloaf tomorrow

    Reply
  3. Ash says

    October 17, 2020 at 12:48 am

    5 stars
    Made this and it came out awesome!! Just didn’t add carrots because I ran out. Also, I minced some garlic in there. So good!

    Reply
  4. Eunnah says

    August 19, 2020 at 9:57 pm

    Very taste dish Thank you soo much

    Reply
  5. Priscilla says

    July 17, 2020 at 5:00 am

    5 stars
    Made these for dinner tonight but combined the mince with some sausage meat and skipped the carrots as I didn’t have any 😂so so tasty. Ate them together with your baked broccoli balls though I combined broccoli and cauliflower. Super tasty meal 🤗 thanks Nagi

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 17, 2020 at 8:17 am

      Yum! Sounds fantastic Priscilla! N x

      Reply
  6. Christina Palomino says

    November 23, 2019 at 2:26 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  7. Nancy says

    November 6, 2019 at 10:05 am

    I haven’t made this yet. I was wondering if it would be good with lamb mince?

    Reply
  8. Candice says

    May 30, 2019 at 5:27 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 30, 2019 at 3:33 pm

      Definitely skip lean mince here (use the 80/20) – otherwise you’ll end up with dry meatloaf! ❤️

      Reply
  9. Rick says

    April 11, 2019 at 12:52 am

    has anyone made these in mini muffin tins? Just wondering if they would make a nice finger food.

    Reply
    • Heather says

      September 19, 2019 at 7:33 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    • James Mercer says

      October 4, 2019 at 8:07 am

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
  10. Pam says

    February 6, 2019 at 9:11 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 7, 2019 at 10:19 am

      Hi Pam, you could definitely substitute fresh garlic if you prefer. These should be perfect to freeze!

      Reply
  11. Julia says

    September 21, 2018 at 11:29 am

    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!!

    Reply
  12. Julia Ackinson says

    September 21, 2018 at 11:07 am

    5 stars
    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!!

    Reply
  13. Steph says

    August 7, 2018 at 11:02 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 8, 2018 at 9:40 pm

      Terrific to hear you enjoyed this Steph!! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know – N x

      Reply
  14. R Smith says

    July 10, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    5 stars
    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. 😋

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 11, 2018 at 8:27 pm

      🙌🏻 🙌🏻 LOVE hearing that! Thanks for letting me know! N x

      Reply
  15. Enrica Deluca says

    March 18, 2018 at 12:36 pm

    5 stars
    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..

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 18, 2018 at 2:34 pm

      I’m so pleased he enjoyed this Enrica! Thanks for letting me know! N x

      Reply
      • les says

        February 12, 2020 at 3:06 pm

        will potatoes dry up when reheating

        Reply
        • Krista C. says

          July 24, 2020 at 11:50 am

          Thank you for the great recipe. I used free range, organic sirloin. Moist and delicious. No leftovers at this house!

          Reply
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