Shelly’s Friday Favourites: 5 Dinner Recipes Using a Muffin Pan

The saying goes, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Don’t judge a muffin pan to only make muffins. We’ve posted the most amazing breakfast meals you can make with a muffin pan. Now, it’s time to talk dinner. New ideas can help shake up the menu of the week, plus it’ll make it easier to serve your entire family and any uninvited guests. Here are my five favorite dinner ideas using a muffin pan.

 

To portion control or not to portion control. As a result of using a muffin pan, you’ll realize that you can make your favorite meals conveniently but it’s comes at the price, the size. That pizza won’t be 16inches but mini pop. Some would say, this would help with portion control. I salute you. If you are like me, and have no self control around food especially, pizza, then you’ll need to proceed with caution and not eat the entire servings.  I hate to admit it but even if I’m stuffed and there one left over, I’ll still manage to clear the plate. Which is probably why I end up in a food coma.

 

Speaking of pizza, let’s start with a
Sausage and Pepperoni Puff. What I love about this recipe that there isn’t a divide between toppings and pizza dough, it’s all mixed it. It’s like a stuff pizza. You won’t be able to stop at just one!

 

Ingredients: 3/4 cup flour 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 3/4 cup whole milk 1 egg, lightly beaten 4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup) 2 oz mini turkey pepperoni, (about 1/2 cup) 4 oz low-fat sausage, cooked and crumbled 1/2 cup pizza sauce

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, sausage and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping. 

 

It’s taco Tuesday at your place because it’s a popular dish in the household. Let’s be honest, it’s also super easy to make, but why not take a different spin? Introducing:
mini taco cups. Hmmm, maybe you are rolling your eyes. But it does make for a great appitiezer dish for your next dinner party. Check out this recipe from
Kevin and Amanda. 

 

Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground beef, browned and drained 1 envelope (3 tablespoons) taco seasoning 1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles 1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (or Mexican blend) 24 wonton wrappers

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously coat a standard size muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine cooked beef, taco seasoning, and tomatoes in a bowl and stir to combine. Line each cup of prepared muffin tin with a wonton wrapper. Add 1.5 tablespoons taco mixture. Top with 1 tablespoon of cheese. Press down and add another layer of wonton wrapper, taco mixture, and a final layer of cheese.
• Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes until cups are heated through and edges are golden.

 

 

 

 

Another great idea is to turn the muffin tin upside down to make a taco salad bowl. The later is a fun way to spruce up your salad because lettuce could get boring after awhile. However a taco bowl is far from being boring. Make extra guacamole. And if you have extra
taco bowls, crack them from the top to use as nachos. Now, you’ll need extra extra guacamole. 

 

Something a bit more paleo and gluten free friendly is the
mango meatball. 100% meat and no carbs but with a touch of mango madness.  Fruity fusion in meats can be an acquired taste but worth trying out with this recipe. Now, if the thought of mango makes your cringe, check out this recipe Turkey Meatball option. Here’s an opportunity to use great to bring out your favorite sauces as dip. 

Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey (beef works too!) 2 ripe/overripe champagne mangoes (or 1 large regular mango works as well) 1 medium onion 1/2 cup almond flour 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp basil salt pepper

Directions

 

1. Chop mangoes and onion into small pieces. This might get a little bit messy, but use a sharp knife and you should be fine! Don’t worry if the pieces get a little mushy, they will still taste great.

2. Add to a bowl with your ground meat, and combine with all other ingredients.

3. Work to mesh ingredients, until the “dough”

4. Grease a muffin pan, and form mixture into balls, dropping one in each muffin space.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes on 350, or until the edges start to bronze nicely and the inside is brown throughout.

 

 

Are you a lasagna lover like me? It’s the ultimate comfort food and you can get generous many layers of sauce, cheese meat between every pasta sheet. So, I could imagine your hesitation with these because there’s a limit on how much of the good stuff you put in. However, this recipe from The
Girl Who Ate Everything, using wonton sheets instead. Personally, I prefer this option because it’s lower in calories and doesn’t make you “feel heavy” compared to normal lasagna. 

 

 

 

Ingredients: 1/3 pound ground beef Salt and pepper 24 wonton wrappers 1 3/4 cups Parmesan cheese, grated 1 3/4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded 3/4 cup ricotta cheese 1 cup pasta sauce Basil for garnish (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
• Brown beef, and season with salt and pepper. Drain.
• Cut wonton wrappers into circle shapes (about 2 1/4- inches) using a biscuit cutter or the top of a drinking glass. You can cut several at a time. Note: For a more rustic look, no cutting necessary!
• Reserve 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese for the top of your cupcakes. Start layering your lasagna cupcakes. Begin with a wonton wrapper and press it into the bottom of each muffin tin. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese in each. Top with a little meat and pasta sauce.
• Repeat layers again (i.e. wonton, Parmesan, ricotta, mozzarella and pasta sauce). Top with reserved Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To remove, use a knife to loosen the edges, then pop each lasagna out.
• Garnish with basil and serve.

Which recipe will you use next?