Basic Meatloaf Muffin Recipe

My husband is the type of guy that wants needs meat with every meal, but the fact that he does not like any poultry or fish makes it hard for me to find a common ground at dinner time (I personally don't like pork and can't eat beef everyday). Therefore, I often cook two different kind of meals for dinner - something meaty and hearty for my husband, and something light with mainly vegetables for me. 

So what's one of the recipes that always works for the both of us? Meatloaf Muffins! They are so easy to make and a big hit in our house and at my husbands work. You get all the flavor and moist mix of meat and vegetable from regular meat loaf in small single serving sizes, which is perfect for taking them to work or when you are on the run. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Here's the basic recipe for around 12 muffins:

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of oil (preferably extra virgin olive oil)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup carrots

1 onion

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs 

1 cup ketchup (I used curry ketchup)

1,5 pounds ground beef

1 cup crushed saltine crackers
2 tablespoons mustard

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°

Thinly chop onion, carrot, and garlic (I cheated and used an electric chopper since I like my veggies extra thin). Add oregano and sauté for 2 minutes in olive oil.

Let the onion mixture cool (make sure it is at least room temperature), then combine with 1/2 cup ketchup, saltine crackers, ground beef, pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a bowl (for those like me that have a fancy Kitchen Aid and still use their hands to combine the ingredients: no shame!).

Scoop the mixture into 12 muffin cups, and top each with the remaining ketchup. Bake muffins for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Since this is a basic recipe, you can add more vegetables (zucchini, bell pepper), spices/herbs, and substitute the ketchup for BBQ sauce.