Mini Moroccan meatloaf cups that are topped with an amazing pistachio-mint pesto! Ready in 45 minutes, but most of that is inactive baking time.
On Tuesday I promised you these meatloaf cups, and here you are!
I’ve been on a bit of a quest lately to liven up the ground beef routine, since it’s basically a freezer staple, and it’s so easy to get in a rut with it. I made Ginger Beef Tacos, and then I made Thai Koftas. And now Moroccan Meatloaves…I just realized I’m on a bit of a global kick here!
I kind of can’t believe I made a meatloaf recipe for the blog. Because I just can’t wrap my brain around this whole meat…in loaf form. It’s so bizarre to me! It’s almost in the same bizarre category as the whole jello-salad thing. Retro and bizarre.
While the thought of making an entire loaf of meat was not my thing, I liked the idea of meatloaf muffins. Meatuffins? How about just meatloaf cups. That sounds better to me.
Of course I wanted this to be a 30-minute dinner, but the meatloaf cups themselves need to bake for around 30 minutes, so including prep time it is around 45 minutes. And the prep? A total breeze. Just stir together some ground beef, an egg, some milk, bread crumbs and seasoning, and press into muffin trays.
I actually preferred using my silicone muffin liners, but they look kind of ridiculous in photos so I went with just spray oil for the photos 😉 Either way, they come out without too many problems.
The meatloaves bake for 30 minutes, giving you plenty of time to make the Pistachio Mint Pesto (PROMISE ME YOU WON’T SKIP THIS!!), and a side dish.
To give the meatloaves a bit of Moroccan flavor, I used a Ras el Hanout spice blend (mine is from Trader Joe’s). If you don’t have access to a pre-made spice blend, I have used this one in the past.
Ras el Hanout spice blend is all sorts of wonderful…cinnamon, ginger, cumin, allspice, a tiny bit of a kick from the cayenne. It is delicious in the meatloaves and goes SO well with the Pistachio-Mint Pesto.
And you’re going to make the pesto, right? RIGHT?!
OK, good. Now have yourself a great Thursday! The week-end is just around the corner!
Moroccan Meatloaf Cups
Ingredients
- 500 g/ 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon worschershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ras el hanout spice blend
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 12-count muffin tray generously with spray oil and set aside.
- Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Scoop and gently press into prepared muffin trays.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until completely cooked through.
- Serve with Pistachio-Mint Pesto.
Notes
Nutrition
Products used in this recipe:
