Turkey meatloaf cupcakes with mashed cauliflower and peas

Have a hard time getting your kids to eat their veggies? (Or do you just want to make dinner fun?) Try this recipe. This is what I made for dinner Tuesday night and it was a hit. Before starting the meatloaf, put a large pot of water on the stove to begin boiling for the steamed cauliflower. 

TURKEY MEATLOAF

(You may need to double the recipe for your family)

Makes 8 turkey meatloaf cupcakes

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 eggs

2 Tbsp stone ground mustard (or dijon mustard)

3 Tbsp brown sugar

3 or 4 handfuls of Special K brand baked chips, crushed

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Use cupcake liners in your cupcake tin and fill 8 wrappers. You can use an ice cream scoop to fill them so the shape resembles a cupcake. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. (Your water should now be boiling.)

Mashed Cauliflower

4 golden potatoes

1 head of cauliflower

2 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ginger

1/8 cup almond milk

One individual serving cup of plain or vanilla greek yogurt

1 bag frozen peas

fresh broccoli

Peel and add the potatoes to the boiling water. Once the potatoes have been boiling for 10 minutes, add the entire head of cauliflower (cut into chunks the size of what you would eat if you were eating it raw). 

Continue boiling until the cauliflower is tender.  (In the meantime, you can prepare the frozen peas per the directions on the package.) Once the cauliflower is tender, drain and put back into the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and combine using a hand mixer. When the meatloaf comes out of the oven, let cool just long enough to be able to remove the cupcake wrappers. Spread a couple spoonfuls of the mashed cauliflower onto a plate and place a cupcake on top. I used a piping bag to swirl the cauliflower/potato combination on the top of the meatloaf servings. I then sprinkled them with the tips of the broccoli florets and spread the peas around the meatloaf. (I also added a single pea to the top of each cupcake. Not quite as sweet as a cherry.) ;) This recipe was really, really good. I'm already thinking about the leftovers. By the way, this recipe isn't just for kids. Ladies, if you have a hard time getting your husband to eat HIS veggies, just place two "cupcakes" side by side on the plate and it looks like boobs. BOOM! He will eat anything that looks like boobs.