Food: Meatloaf Muffins

The holidays have come and gone and I'm sure many of our cravings now exclude ham and turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, and (sadly) even sugar cookies. I must admit, I've become quite sluggish due to the season of eating and celebrating and staying up too late and sleeping in. So I apologize for not updating this site as often as I had intended. Even though I don't like to make resolutions in the new year, maybe that is one I should have for 2010...to be prompt and regular in my writing -and- sharing :)

Since it's pretty cold here in Detroit right now and we just had some more snow over night, I decided to post a meal that's warm and hearty with all the comforts of home. You may recall how I raved about the meatballs at a restaurant called Sugo outside of Atlanta. Well I used their dish as an inspiration when making meatloaf muffins the other weekend. They turned out quite well and I'm already looking forward to making them again sometime very soon...as well as some sweet and juicy caramelized onions to go along with them.

Meatloaf Muffins

MM

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs meatloaf mix (combination beef and pork)
• 1/4 c chopped carmelized onions
• 1 t fennel seeds
• 1 dozen dried, pitted dates, finely chopped
• 1 c breadcrumbs (MM Tip: Place two slices of bread in the food processor and pulse until you get a nice fine texture)
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1/2 t smoked paprika
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• 2 ribs of celery, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• A splash of milk
• 6 whole peeled tomatoes (canned)
• 3/4 c of liquid from canned tomatoes (if mixture seems too dry, add more in small amounts)
• 2 T chopped fresh basil
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 T Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper & Eggplant Spread - MM Comment: I've now used this ingredient in at least 3 recipes on this site...has it become a staple in your pantry yet? ;)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450
• Spray a standard-sized muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside
• Combine all ingredients (EXCEPT TJ PEPPER/EGGPLANT SPREAD) into a large bowl, mixing to combine (MM comment: Don't be afraid to get a little messy and use your hands)
• Pack mixture into palm-sized balls and press into muffin tin cups
• Place a spoonful of the TJ Pepper/Eggplant spread on top of each of the uncooked "muffins"
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through (depending on the accuracy of your oven, you may want to start checking them at 25 minutes)
• Remove from muffin pan and serve with caramelized onions and oven-roasted potatoes