Meatloaf muffins are not really a specific dish, but rather a cooking method that can be used with nearly any type of meatloaf. Generally, it consists of a mix of ground meat, vegetables, and spices, as well as ingredients to hold everything together. The mixture is blended and individual portions are placed in a greased muffin tin and then baked until it is cooked throughout. This cooking method is ideal for portion control and for reducing the baking time of traditional meatloaf.
As per the name, ground meat is the primary ingredient in meatloaf muffins. This dish can be made with beef, veal, or pork. In some cases, as with meatballs, a combination of two or more of these meats is also used; generally, the beef and veal are used for flavor while the pork is used for moisture. Those who prefer white meats will generally use ground chicken or turkey.
In addition to this, vegetables, spices, and binding agents are often used in the mixture. Onions, carrots, or peppers can be diced, minced, or even grated and combined with the meat for flavor, moisture, and added nutrients. Mushrooms, squash, and spinach are also common ingredients. Nearly any spice can be incorporated, from Italian favorites such as basil and parsley, to cumin or chili powder for spicy meatloaf muffins. To hold all of the ingredients together and to create the traditional meatloaf flavor, eggs, breadcrumbs, or cracker crumbs are typically mixed in as well.
The entire mixture is used to fill individual muffin tins. Generally, standard size tins are used, although mini-muffin pans can be used to make meatloaf appetizers. The mixture is baked for about a half-an-hour, depending on the cooking temperature for which the recipe calls, or until the meatloaf muffins are cooked. Depending on how the muffins are mounded in the tins and the type of ground meat used, they may need to be drained on a paper towel for a few minutes before serving to remove any excess grease.
Many people turn to meatloaf muffins in lieu of traditional cooking methods to make portion control easier, as well as to shorten the cooking time. Meatloaf muffins can make it easier to figure an accurate calorie count: the nutritional information of the entire recipe can simply be divided by the amount of muffins that it makes. While traditional meatloaf is often considered to be a weekend meal, as the cooking time can range from forty-five minutes to over an hour, the less-than-thirty minutes that meatloaf muffins take to bake make it easier to enjoy this comfort food nearly any night of the week.
