Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce

I had a lot of comforting ideals when it came to food when Rob and I first got married.  Some became family favorites.  Others were shot down.  One that I fully expected to make periodically was the always classic meatloaf.

And then I was informed that my other half does not like meatloaf.

I don't really recall all the details of my reaction, but I know I was willing to accept the loss of tuna casserole.  And though it pained me, I'd manage without my beloved linguine with clam sauce.  But you know what?  A girl's gotta draw the line somewhere, and I decided that line was meatloaf.  Because when you think about it, my husband is a diehard Carnivore.  There is no reason why he should not like meatloaf!

My investigation began to find some means of getting that comforting flavor that I loved from my childhood but using ingredients that Rob couldn't say no to.

Ladies and gentleman, we have a winner!

Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
3 small-medium carrots, cut into chunks
1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grill seasoning
1 cup smoky barbecue sauce
1/2 cup salsa
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Extra-virgin olive oil

1.  Preheat oven to 450. 

2.  Put ground beef in a large bowl. In a food processor, add onion and carrots. Pulse until finely chopped and add them to meat bowl. Add egg (beaten with a splash of milk), breadcrumbs and grill seasoning. 

There really is meat under all that goodness!

3.  Next, in a small bowl mix together barbecue sauce, salsa and Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the meat bowl. 

Not your typical ketchup topping

4.  Mix meatloaf together with your hands.  Even out the meat in the bowl and score it, with your hand, into four sections.  Lightly roll each section into three balls.

I think these are rather cute

5.  Brush a 12-cup muffin tin with oil. Place a ball into each cup and pat down a little.  Top each meatloaf muffin with remaining sauce.  Bake about 20-25 minutes. 

Salsa and bbq sauce give this a deeper, almost meatier flavor

Not only does Rob really go for this, but I've grown to love it more than the ketchup-topped version I grew up with.  Bonus reason why I like this recipe?  Because it's divvied up into smaller portions, it bakes significantly faster then a standard loaf.  I love to serve this with cream cheese mashed potatoes and either green beans or a tossed salad.

Uglies

Yeah, you heard me.  I made a dish that is called "Uglies."  Don't look at me like that...I didn't come up with the name!  In fact, I have to say I disagree with this name because I actually thought they were kinda cute, in a rustic, homey sort of way.

Whether you choose to try the actual recipe for this is up to you.  What I find most intriguing though is the concept behind this.  Cooking a protein with seasonings, adding sauce, spooning this mixture into a dough cup, topping with cheese and bake.  That's really what this recipe boils down to.  Hmmm, interesting....  Could this then be something used to tackle the ever-present Leftovers?  Could these be main dish or an appetizer?  Could these be vegetarian?  Could these be carnivore?  Could these be a weekend party food or a fast weeknight I'm-so-tired-I-could-scream-but-my-family-needs-to-eat meal?

Abso-fricking-lutely!!


Uglies 
Recipe from AllRecipes

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp-ish garlic powder
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
8-10 refrigerator biscuits
1/2 cup-ish shredded cheddar

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add beef, onion and garlic powder and cook until meat is no longer pink and onions are translucent.  Drain any excess fat.  Add barbecue sauce and let simmer for 3-5 minutes.

2.  While the beef mixture is cooking, grease a muffin tin and open the biscuit dough tube.  On a floured surface, roll the raw biscuits to about 6" diameter.  Place dough in prepared muffin tin (my dough did not want to stay up the sides so I stretched each piece over the top and the dough sank in to it's little spot as I spooned the filling in).

Biscuit before. Biscuit after.

3.  Spoon filling into each dough-lined muffin cup.  Top with shredded cheddar.

4.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and biscuit dough is cooked and golden.

I suppose at this point these aren't that attractive.

Whenever I find recipes like these, where the concept just jumps out at me, I think I must get this crazy gleam in my eye.  I start thinking of all the cool possibilities!!  Is your kid like mine and won't touch barbecue sauce (I know, weird...we're working on him)?  Use a spaghetti sauce instead.  Or Alfredo sauce. Or some completely crazy but TOTALLY delicious sauce your family loves that perhaps your grandmother makes only twice a year.

Or hey, why not go REALLY easy on yourself and use the leftover barbecue (beef, pork, chicken, whatever) from the Memorial Day party.  Then this 30-minute meal pretty much becomes a 20-minute meal.  Bonus!!

Don't do meat?  No problem...saute your favorite selection of tofu and small veggies together with a tangy ginger sauce.

Are you getting yet how you can totally take this recipe and run with it?  The dish as-is is quite good.  But I think I'm going to have even more fun with playing around with the different possibilities.

Man I love cooking.  One recipe, infinite possibilities. :)