Tzippy Respler

I’m always looking for interesting, nutritious, kid-friendly and delicious recipes for my grandchildren, Avigail (age 2+) and Judah (9 months old).

They are hearty eaters and they will have quite a surprise when I serve these protein cupcakes.  I have taken my favorite meatloaf and mashed potatoes recipes and have combined them into these easy and irresistible meat and potatoes cupcakes.   Best of all, the leftover cupcakes can be frozen in freezer bags for their next visit.

Recipe yields 12-16 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Meat Cupcakes

2 pounds lean ground beef
4 eggs
1 large or 2 small onions, grated
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (non-fish, see kosher notes below)
1 cup Panko or regular bread crumbs  (omit for Passover)
2 cloves minced garlic
Ketchup or tomato sauce

Mashed Potato Icing

4 large potatoes
½ cup vegetable stock or water
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

 

DIRECTIONS

Meat Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Grate the onion and combine with eggs.
Add remaining meatloaf ingredients and use your hands to mix until just combined.
Press mixture into muffin tin or individual ramekins, creating a dome shape on top of each cupcake.
Bake for 25 minutes until browned. Remove from oven to cool.

Mashed Potato Icing

Peel and dice potatoes.   Steam or boil until soft.
Drain, then add oil and liquid. Mash until smooth and creamy but stiff enough to spread or pipe onto the Meat Cupcakes.

 

ASSEMBLY

If the meat cupcakes were baked in muffin tins, transfer cooled cupcakes to foil cupcake wrappers or foil ramekins.
Spread a thin layer of ketchup on top of each Meat Cupcake.
Top with room temperature mashed potato using a piping bag and large piping tip or by spreading mashed potato with a spoon.
Place under the broiler for 4-6 minutes  to carmelize the edges of the potato icing.

VARIATIONS

You may add ½ cup of any combination of grated carrot, cabbage or zucchini to the meat mixture for extra nutrition
Sweet Potatoes may be substituted for potatoes in icing for a dramatic variation
Ground Turkey may be substituted for ground beef for a lighter alternative

SHORTCUT

1 ½  cups of instant mashed potato flakes
2 cups of boiling water
salt and pepper to taste

Combine and use in place of mashed potatoes.

KOSHER NOTES
Most Worcestershire sauces contain anchovies and kosher dietary laws do not allow mixing of meat and fish. Those with anchovies are often marked with the rabbinic certification followed by the word “fish”. There are a few brands that impart the Worcestershire flavor without the fish content. Make sure to check before using or skip the Worcestershire sauce entirely.

Experiment with different types of ground meat until you find your favorite combination.

Ground meat is best mixed by hand.  Wear disposable gloves and gently mix the meat into the egg mixture.

Be careful not to overmix.  Meat should be added to egg mixture and only mixed until just combined.  Overmixing will yield dense and tough meatloaf.

Enjoy!