Savory Cupcakes for Meat Lovers

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, or as needed
• Sauce:
• 1 cup ketchup
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Meatloaf:
• 3 pounds ground beef
• 2 cups milk
• 8 ounces shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (such as Sargento® Off the Block)
• 1 ½ cups bread crumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix (such as Lipton®)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• ½ cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (such as Sargento® Off the Block), or to taste

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 24-cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners. In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce until the sugar is fully dissolved. Cover the sauce and pop it in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.

Step 2

While the sauce chills, mix the ground beef, milk, 8 ounces of shredded Cheddar, bread crumbs, eggs, onion soup mix, chili powder, and paprika in a large bowl. Use your hands or a spoon to combine everything well. Then, press the meat mixture firmly into the muffin cups, making sure there are no air pockets.

Step 3

Bake the meat cups for 15 minutes. Once the timer goes off, take them out and spoon the chilled sauce over each one. Pop the pan back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until the centers are no longer pink — an instant-read thermometer should show at least 160°F (70°C).

Step 4

Finally, sprinkle the remaining Cheddar cheese on top of each cupcake and let them cool for about 10 minutes before serving.