Diner Meat Loaf 'Muffins'

I've had enough cooking bombs in the last week that I decided to stick with an old favorite for supper tonight. Supper can be on the table in under an hour, unless you have to stop every couple of minutes to fish comeone out of a cabinet, drawer or out from underneath a chair when they get stuck. Christopher finally figured out how to go forward yesterday and hasn't stopped exploring.

I served them with oven fries and broccoli. Madeleine has been randomly complaining about onions, so I threw it in the food processor and pulverized it instead of just chopping it up. They are soft enough that even those with no teeth can gum them. Plates and high chair trays were cleared.

Diner Meat Loaf 'Muffins'
Adapted from Cooking Light, 2006

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano (I only use 1/2)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)
1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
2 tablespoons prepared mustard (skipped, never seem to have any)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.

Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.

Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 "muffins")

CALORIES 276 (28% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 131mg; CALCIUM 48mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.7g; SODIUM 759mg; PROTEIN 28.7g; FIBER 1.8g