Meatloaf Cupcakes With Mashed Potato Frosting

This should have been my entry to the Brooklyn Kitchen Cupcake Cookoff. I would have won for sure.

Triple-meat cupcakes are frosted with two types of mashed potato–beetroot-tinted and plain–and topped with green pepper sprinkles.

I’ll be flying to Iowa for a wedding at the end of this month, and these cupcakes are a preemptive step towards acclimating myself to the local diet. Over the weekend, I’ll be phasing in high-fructose corn syrup by the mugful; in the advanced phase, I’ll subject myself to incremental portions of jello salad until something resembling tolerance has been reached.

Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting–Makes 12

INGREDIENTS

For the “cupcake”:
1/3 lb. ground veal
1/3 lb. ground chuck
1/3 lb. ground pork
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly diced
2 stalks celery, roughly diced
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
2 eggs
Salt and pepper

For the “frosting”:
7.2oz box instant mashed potatoes
Milk, per package instructions
Butter, per package instructions
Beet juice from canned beets

To garnish:
Green pepper, very finely diced

METHOD

For the “cupcake”:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk and set aside.

Sweat the vegetables in olive oil until softened. Transfer to a deep bowl and use an immersion blender to puree; alternatively, puree in food processor.

Mix the three meats, eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley and vegetable puree in a large bowl until an even consistency is reached.

Place meat mixture in greased muffin tins and bake until brown and shrunken away from the sides, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from tin and cool on rack.

For the “frosting”:
Prepare one sachet of instant mashed potatoes according to package instructions. To prepare the other, substitute beet juice from canned beets for the water called for in the instructions. Allow to cool.

Transfer each batch of mashed potato into a separate pastry bag (or Ziploc bag with a snipped-off corner) with your favourite pastry tip. Pipe onto cupcakes and decorate with diced green pepper.

Reheat in oven or microwave before serving.

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COMMENTS / 62 COMMENTS

[…] For complete instructions and more pictures, please click here. […]

A hungry man cupcake added this comment on May 15, 2008 at 5:10 pm

[…] this is a fun idea that i can see my 3 getting into Filed under: whimsical Article tags: a great sleepover dinner […]

pretty pieces » Blog Archive » meatloaf cupcake added this comment on May 16, 2008 at 6:02 am

[…] How to get kids to eat their meats and veggies. […]

ChaseandSam.com » Big botnet, Firefox 3 RC1, Asimo conducts symphony, Naptv added this comment on May 17, 2008 at 9:54 am

[…] Meatloaf Cupcakes […]

Is it dessert or dinner? « SparkleSparkle added this comment on May 18, 2008 at 10:53 pm

[…] Meatloaf Cupcakes With Mashed Potato Frosting | Fine Furious Life (tags: recipe meatloaf cupcake) […]

naumann.info » links for 2008-05-30 added this comment on May 30, 2008 at 5:46 am

[…] 30, 2008 · No Comments (magic recipe here) Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)How to get your friends’ & Communibee feed […]

What My Friends are Looking at When They Should Be Working « 12×2 added this comment on May 30, 2008 at 9:59 am

[…] I’ve never been a fan of “foodie-ism” or really, any cultural movement that muddles art/commerce/housework to the detriment of the public good (i.e. fashion, blogging) but this food blogger I met recently, Michele, is maybe the Joan Didion to my Bill Buckley on these matters. (She also dresses well.) These cupcakes are made from meatloaf and mashed potatoes and that is awesome. [FineFuriousLife] […]

I Would Do Anything For Love But I Won’t Cook That [Food] added this comment on May 30, 2008 at 11:40 am

[…] the full recipe at Fine Furious Life (via Jezebel […]

material concern » Blog Archive » sorry: i’m obsessed added this comment on May 30, 2008 at 12:51 pm

[…] Bean Whatever It Is from Farmgirl Fare, Grilled Halloumi and Asparagus Salad from feeding maybelle, Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting from Fine Furious Life, Gorgonzola Gnocchi with Chard from Finny Knits, Breakfast Egg Sandwich with […]

Columbus Foodie » Blog Archive » May 2008 Roundup added this comment on June 6, 2008 at 5:18 pm

[…] I took this meat, and, in the style of Michele from Fine Furious Life, I made […]

Romance Meat at Thus Bakes Zarathustra added this comment on June 12, 2008 at 2:02 pm

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meat cakes | YUM! ® | food news™ added this comment on June 13, 2008 at 10:17 am

[…] here’s something different: Meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato frosting. Michele over on Fine Furious Life whipped them up for us, and we have at least one independent […]

Almostgotit.com | Cupcakes From Another Planet added this comment on July 2, 2008 at 12:25 pm

[…] Humes has the most creative culinary mind I ever encountered. Her meatloaf cupcakes and the dessert plate paintings were just examples of her genius. She also uses her Eurasian […]

Yummy Mummy Got Some Love, I Got an Award | Red Cook added this comment on July 3, 2008 at 1:08 am

[…] meatloaf cupcakes from finefuriouslife.com. not only do they sound like they taste wonderful, they actually look like it too! Posted in Uncategorized | […]

meatloaf cupcakes « My Weblog added this comment on July 7, 2008 at 6:23 pm

Michele, This is such an inspirational concept. You would have really won the cookoff with this! I am going to do this for a birthday party planned for my friend’s daughter. Hmmmm…

Kian added this comment on May 14 08 at 6:38 pm

Wow. That would have taken home something!
keep that in your arsenal for next year.

The Brooklyn Kitchen added this comment on May 15 08 at 7:04 am

Love this! It’s super funny but probably wonderful, too. What a fin idea!

Karen added this comment on May 15 08 at 7:40 am

Love, love this!!! What a great idea! I am so making it for a party on Saturday! You definitely would have won!

Medena added this comment on May 15 08 at 8:14 am

I thought they were real cupcakes! You had me fooled!

Jerry added this comment on May 15 08 at 8:16 am

These are the cutest things ever! They truly look like cupcakes!

Leslie added this comment on May 15 08 at 9:01 am

Wow - these are so cool!

kittie added this comment on May 15 08 at 9:22 am

What’s next? A spam cobbler?

atalie added this comment on May 15 08 at 10:53 am

Atalie, I kind of love it.

Michele Humes added this comment on May 15 08 at 10:54 am

Fabulous idea!

Michelle added this comment on May 15 08 at 11:00 am

Fab idea! I’ll have to try it next time I make meatloaf.

Jules added this comment on May 15 08 at 11:00 am

you know what words i like to hear? “triple meat.”

michelle @ TNS added this comment on May 15 08 at 11:52 am

They’re really beautiful.

Megan added this comment on May 15 08 at 11:54 am

Megan: beautiful? You’ve been living in or near Russia too long.

Michelle: roll the r and it’s practically a come-on.

Michele Humes added this comment on May 15 08 at 12:02 pm

I love the idea of these, but wouldn’t want to serve them cold… do you think adding the mashed potatoes 10 minutes before the meatloafs are ready to come out of the oven and then cooking it off together (so the potatoes get kind of crusty) would work? Cold meatloaf and tatoes doesn’t sound very appealing to me!

Cin added this comment on May 15 08 at 2:51 pm

I hear you, and my response (which I have also appended to the recipe) is:

Microwave!

It’s very difficult to pipe when the potatoes are still hot, and doing it while the meatloaves are still in the tin would make them tricky to take out without ruining the piping.

Alternatively, just stick a whole tray of piped ones in the oven on a low temperature.

Michele Humes added this comment on May 15 08 at 2:52 pm

This is insanely awesome.

rachel added this comment on May 15 08 at 3:05 pm

Wow! These look amazing! Such a wonderful idea! These would have probably won something at the BK Cupcake Cookoff! I sadly did not attend this year but a friend did and she had a blast! Love THESE cupcakes!

Susana added this comment on May 15 08 at 4:40 pm

Very very very creative. I love it.

Lori added this comment on May 15 08 at 5:25 pm

That is just brilliant!

Jen Yu added this comment on May 15 08 at 8:15 pm

*drools* now I just have to come up with an excuse to make these lovelies! Fan-tastic!

Gemma added this comment on May 16 08 at 3:40 am

Fantastic! I have a friend who is not big on cakes and sweets. For his birthday, his mom made him a gigantic cheeseburger (like 8-9 inches across) and but candles in it. This would be PERFECT!

Mel H added this comment on May 16 08 at 7:50 am

Oh how I love this! I am all about the cupcakes baby. And this is fabulous!

Juicy Jenn

Juicy Jenn added this comment on May 16 08 at 8:36 am

I thought it was carrot cake at first. =) These would make great appetizers for a shower I am hosting. Thanks!

Foodaholic added this comment on May 16 08 at 1:54 pm

What a cool idea! I can’t wait to try this, except without the instant stuff lol Thanks for the inspiration!

Crystal added this comment on May 17 08 at 8:14 pm

Have you lot over that side of the pond ever heard of a Spam Fritter? Try it with mushy peas, mmmmmmmmm.

Kevin added this comment on May 18 08 at 11:53 am

I can’t believe you’d go to all the trouble of making these so cute, but use instant mashed potatoes–yuck! It’s not hard to make scratch mashed potatoes, and they’d be way better.
On another note, if you haven’t seen this page, you should check it out: http://www.blackwidowbakery.com/demo/meatcake/

Diane added this comment on May 18 08 at 4:55 pm

Thanks for the link, Diane. I am well familiar with the genius of the meatcake.

Re: instant mashed potatoes–they’re easier to pipe and easier to dye; fresh mashed potatoes would not take the beet liquid so readily. Of course, it is the cook’s prerogative; personally, I had never used or tasted instant mashed potatoes before–I grew up in Asia–and was quite eager to try the stuff.

Michele Humes added this comment on May 18 08 at 4:59 pm

People in Iowa are no different then people in Brooklyn.
I don’t know what you expect ?

joe added this comment on May 19 08 at 5:45 am

Joe, all the Iowans I know, I love. But they do eat more crushed-pretzel jello salads, on the whole, than us Brooklynites.

Michele Humes added this comment on May 19 08 at 12:18 pm

what a great ides thats soooooooo awesome

GeNiuSGriFFiN added this comment on May 19 08 at 2:13 pm

This has got to be one of the coolest meatloaf ideas that I have ever seen! Absolutely amazing! It will be a good way for me to get the kids to eat their meatloaf from now on! Thanks so much for sharing this! I am officially addicted to your blog!

Shannon added this comment on May 19 08 at 5:25 pm

These are really nice! The bright colors make them look like something that has to be sweet.

Lars added this comment on May 20 08 at 2:52 pm

is it just me that finds the idea of having meat and mash as a cake a little grim

charlie added this comment on May 22 08 at 12:53 pm

If you don’t like the bell peppers as the garnish use bacon. Just make it extra crispy and finely chop it. ts really good.

sherry added this comment on May 24 08 at 5:45 pm

I made these for my family on April Fool’s Day and they loved it. Dessert was chocolate pound cake with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream with green sprinkles that looked like meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

In other news, I’m a dork.

Kate added this comment on May 29 08 at 12:17 pm

I can leave Iowa, but you’ll always be a zenophobic snot!

Chip added this comment on May 29 08 at 3:47 pm

First time ever in my life when meatloaf actually looks appetizing. That’s creativity (and genius) right there!

Tanya added this comment on May 29 08 at 7:21 pm

Midwest eating: Stopped at an Illinois diner with my extended family once, and my uncle ordered a BLT. “We’re out of bacon.” (Never mind WTF could possibly be up with that.) “Okay, then,” he said. “I’ll have a hot fudge sundae.” ‘Cause that’s how we roll.

kittymama added this comment on May 30 08 at 12:50 am

Kittymama, you’ve amused my boyfriend all weekend with your comment.

Chip, you can’t spell, and I had a great time in Iowa City this weekend.

Thanks for all the kind words, commenters!

Michele Humes added this comment on Jun 02 08 at 8:00 am

This is an awesome execution of the Meatcake! Your cupcakes are so adorable. I’d love to add these and a link to your blog to the Meatcake Gallery, if you don’t mind?

Vashti added this comment on Jun 03 08 at 2:23 pm