Let’s Talk About Nick Cave and Make Some Meatloaf Cupcakes

Does anyone else feel like Nick Cave just needs a hug? I do. How can someone which such great hair that spans decades be in such a bad mood? Who knows, but let’s make some meatloaf. What does Nick Cave have to do with meatloaf? Absolutely nothing.

^This guy needs a hug. And some meatloaf happiness.

In case you were wondering why I am on a tangent about Nick Cave, I am listening to Let Love In, oh and watching Happy Gilmore. If you have never done this I most certainly recommend it, it’s a perfect combination. It’s like a yin yang.

Let’s get our meatloaf makin’ on.

Ingredients

Meatloaf

2 pounds grass fed ground beef, as lean as you can afford to buy
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped spinach (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (more if you like oregano. I don’t)
1 tsp. Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute
1 tablespoon steak seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon butter
2 cups homemade ketchup, divided (recipe below) or Heinz if you are feeling lazy
1.5 cups bread crumbs, almond meal or rolled oats* (*not instant, not steel cut SUPER important)
2 tablespoons mustard, prepared
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Homemade Ketchup

24-28oz can of canned tomatoes. (I find that whole peeled plum tomatoes work best)
1 can tomato paste
1/2 cup onion, very finely chopped
3 tablespoons garlic, very finely chopped
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons garlic, very finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Basically, this is very straightforward, it just takes a little bit of time. You will need a very heavy duty pan, I prefer to use a enameled cast iron pot. If you don’t the mixture burns very easily and you will need to babysit. By babysit I mean don’t even think of leaving the kitchen to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

1) Empty the canned tomatoes and juice into the pot.

2)Take potato masher, wooded spoon or spatula and crush the tomatoes as much as possible.

3)Add the remaining ingredients. and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, making sure to stir repeatedly until the mixture is consistent and even.

4)Once a slow boil has started, let simmer 2 minutes and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer for an hour while stirring occasionally. The goal here is to thicken the sauce. If it takes a little over an hour, that’s ok. Just don’t scorch it.

5)After the sauce has thickened, you will need to add the ingredients into a blender to chop and puree until it has a smooth, ketchup consistency. It is best to let it cool a few minutes before doing this, unless you are using an immersion blender or your upright blender that has a glass blender jar.

5)Once pureed, return to heat for an additional 25-30 minutes until super thick. Let cool and transfer into an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

Mashed Potato Frosting

2 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
salt and pepper to taste

You should already know how to make mashed potatoes. But just in case you don’t, add water to a large pan, add a little salt, add the potatoes and boil for around 45 minutes or until super soft. Transfer to a bowl and add remaining ingredients, mix until super smooth. Adding additional sour cream and milk if needed. Let cool and add potatoes to an icing bag with a decorative tip on the end. I used a star shaped tip.

Sprinkles

bacon bits (uncured), chives or green onions

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

1)Heat the olive oil or vegetable oil in a large pan, sautee garlic, onions, celery and carrots in 1 teaspoon of butter for 3 minutes, or until slightly browned and soft. Set aside.

2) Add the remaining ingredients (only one cup of the ketchup) into a large bowl and mix well. Mixture should be thick and firm and able to be spooned out into a muffin pan without being runny.

3) Drop mixture into the cooking spray coated muffin pans, leaving a little room at the top for the ketchup topping. I usually get 18 out of a batch.

4) Top each of the cups with a spoonful of ketchup, spreading it evenly over the top.

5) Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

6) Begin preparing the mashed potatoes while the meatloaf is cooking. You want a fluffy consistency in order for it to flow easily out of the icing bag.

7) Once meatloaf has finished cooking, remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before you begin piping the mashed potatoes on top.

8) sprinkle bacon, chives or green onions on top of the potato icing as sprinkles