Meatloaf Muffins and Spinach with Bacon and Onions

Thought I would start out with a new version of an oldie but goodie. When I first met my husband I was a strict "no meatloaf" kind of girl. Then I tried his family recipe and I was hooked! We have altered it so that it would cook much quicker but the base recipe is still the same. This is not one of my signature "lots-of-veggie" dishes but you can amp that up with the sides. Please notice the sides in this picture are different than the sides I've listed here for you (In the picture are mixed veggies and roasted root vegetables--recipe to come later).
Let me know what you think!


Meatloaf Muffins - recipe makes 12 muffins

1lb ground beef- do not substitute turkey!

1 medium onion chopped

1/2 sleeve of saltine crackers broken into small pieces

1 egg

1/4 c. milk

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 425. Mix all ingredients together by hand (kids love to help with this part). If mixture seems a little dry, add a splash of milk. Spray muffin pan with non-stick spray. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop mounds into a muffin tin. Apply topping - see recipe below.

Topping

1 c. ketchup

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. ground mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste


Mix all ingredients together - it should be fairly thick - spoon over tops of meatloaf muffins. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until topping is bubbling.


Possible Side Dish - Spinach with Bacon and Onion

This base recipe works well with any green veggie - green beans (canned, frozen or fresh), halved Brussel sprouts, or asparagus. My students as well as my boys all love this recipe. It is a great way to introduce new vegetables in a favorite flavoring - bacon!

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 slices bacon - can be pork or turkey - sliced into thin strips

1 small onion - sliced thin

1 clove garlic - chopped fine

salt and pepper to taste

red pepper flake or hot sauce (optional)

2 cups green vegetable - 1 box of frozen chopped spinach (squeeze out the excess water), or 1 bag fresh baby spinach


In a non-stick pan, put olive oil and bacon - slowly bring to a medium high temperature. This will render out the fat from the bacon. When bacon is crispy, remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Drain all but 2 tbsp. of drippings. Add onions and garlic and cook for two minutes. Add spinach and seasonings. Cook for 5 - 8 minutes until veggies are slightly browned. Remove from pan and sprinkle rendered bacon on top.