Meatloaf Cupcakes/Dessert Cupcakes

Adapted from Fine Furious Life

1/2 lb. ground chuck
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 small carrot, chopped
1/2 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3/4 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
2 eggs
Salt and pepper

• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 12 regular size muffin tins.
• Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk and set aside
• Saute the vegetables in olive oil until softened. Transfer to a food processor and process until very finely minced.
• Mix the meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt & pepper and vegetable puree in a large bowl with your fingers.
• Place meat mixture into the muffin tins and bake until brown and pulling away from the sides, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from tin and cool on rack.

For The Frosting:

• 2- 3.3oz. packages instant mashed potatoes (I used butter flavored to stay away from any "bits" in the mix)
• Follow the instruction on the packages. Follow one exactly. For the pink frosting, use the juice from 1-2 cans of beets for the liquid, adding water to equal the amount needed.
• Let cool slightly, transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe the frosting on the cakes.
• Sprinkle with very finely diced green bell pepper.

DESSERT CUPCAKES:

Once cooled, frost with vanilla frosting, mounding it in the middle. Use a teaspoon to make an indentation in the middle, and plop down a yellow Starburst. Drizzle with gravy (caramel sauce).


**The food looks like the dessert and the dessert looks like the food!!