Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting

About a year ago I found a recipe for these cute little meatloaf cupcakes and I've been DYING to make them but El never let me because they were too fancy and he is very particular about his meat. I continued to obsess over them and browse Pinterest until I found the perfect recipe and I pretty much just tweaked the ones I found from both Skinny Taste and Key Ingredient. So tonight was one of my girl's nights with Lindsay and Katie and I knew they'd just love them. We started off with some fabulous cheeses and crackers (which I nearly devoured all of) then on to the main event. I was going to make some roasted asparagus, too, but I just ran out of time. Luckily, nobody was mad because they were full with just a salad and the meatloaf. They're really filling yet very light because they're made out of turkey as opposed to beef and I tossed some fresh veggies in there too. Honestly, they're so darn cute that I almost didn't want to eat them but I devoured mine. The serving size is 2 per person but you can make them even smaller (like the mini cupcakes) and eat more of them. Kids will absolutely love them because they're so itty bitty and even though they have veggies in them, you can't tasted them because of the other flavors in them. I topped them with mashed potato "frosting"and instead of using cupcake liners I just sprayed some non-stick cooking spray in the cupcake pan and they popped right out. These are really great for a cocktail party as an appetizer or even as a main dish for just about anyone who likes meatloaf. And honestly, who doesn't?!

What you'll need:
1 1/2 lbs. 99% lean ground turkey
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 cup ketchup
1 zucchini, grated and with the liquid drained
1 tbs. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
Cooking spray

1. Preheat your oven to 350*. In a large bowl, use a fork to lightly toss the drained zucchini and the turkey. To the same bowl, add the bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of ketchup, salt, pepper, and egg. Set aside.

2. In a large pan, sauté the onion and garlic until you get a little bit of a crisp on the onions. Let cool for about 2 minutes, then mix in with the turkey mixture. Use your hands (your best tools!) to mix everything together and form "cupcakes" that will fit into the muffin pan.
3. Spray the muffin pan and add the meatloaf "cupcakes." Spread a little bit of the remaining ketchup over the top of each meatloaf (no more than 1 tsp.) Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

4. While the meatloaf is cooking, cook your mashed potatoes. Let them cool for a few minutes then add them to a LARGE plastic ziplock bag with a 1/2" cut in the bottom corner. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and place individual meatloafs on a serving plate. "Pipe" the mashed potato "frosting" on each meatloaf and serve immediately!

enjoy :)