PIZZA MEATLOAF CUPS
My kids love these. I normally double this recipe as they go fast at my house.”
1⁄2 egg, beaten
1⁄4 cup good pizza sauce
1⁄8 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1⁄4 teaspoon italian seasoning
3⁄4 lb extra lean ground beef or turkey
3⁄4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1⁄2 to taste additional pizza sauce (optional)
- In a bowl combine the egg, pizza sauce, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning.
- Fold beef into mixture and mix well. Divide meat mixture into 12 greased muffin cups.
- Press mixture into bottom and up the sides. Fill centre with cheese.
- Bake at 190°C for 15-18 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
- Serve immediately with additional pizza sauce and cheese if desired.
- Or cool, place in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
TO USE FROZEN PIZZA CUPS:
- Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Heat in microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
- Top with additional pizza sauce and cheese if desired.
NOTES FROM OTHERS:
– Clever and fast to make! Perfect for kids. I’d add more spice to the meat or sauce for adults. These would be better for dinner (with a fork) – not sure about them as a party appetizer. I only needed 1/4 cup sauce; it wouldn’t have stuck together well with the full half cup. I pressed the bottom of a shot glass into the muffins to make the hole for the cheese.
– I saw no need for the mixing of the egg, bread crumbs and spices in their own bowl. just added everything to a large bowl with the meat. Added 1/4 grated Parmesan and some garlic powder.. I used a nice pasta sauce from a jar.
– use a more flavorful pizza sauce – too bland otherwise. Maybe try BBQ sauce & cheddar cheese.
– Very easy and tasty. The mixture was quite wet, but after being refrigerated overnight it was thicker. I divided it into 12 blobs in a muffin pan, then pushed a piece of mozza into the centre of each one. They stuck to the pan a little when being removed, but a spoon run around the edges and bottom worked pretty well. I will try this another time with some chopped pizza veggies added to the meat, like peppers and mushrooms. - Wow, these are such an easy, quick, and fun thing to make for dinner! Would be super easy to add other ingredients. I made with ground turkey instead of beef.
– To add pizza flavor, layer pepperoni and cheese in the center of the meat cups!
– definitely use the leanest ground meat as the fat oozes out
-The only time I do not brown the meat ahead of preparation is when I fix meatballs. Browning the hamburger (chopped) meat before blending the other ingredients would make more sense. I will be putting the mixture in smallish glass bowls. Individual meatloaf portions is a good idea to not over eat. I also have been known to use salsa and shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese in the mixture, and added more cheese on top and microwave it for 2.5 minutes add more cheese and cook another 2 minutes until the cheese melts. Serve with corn chips or scoops.
-These were a hit with my family. My 7 and 9 year old boys love them. I didn’t eat them, because I do not eat meat. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef, and oat bran instead of bread crumbs. I also added some carrot puree for an added health benefit. I would’ve added freshly ground flaxseed, but my grinder just broke over the weekend 🙁 I also skipped the sauce. My 7 year old won’t touch anything with sauce. Thanks so much!