Nothing says April Fools’ Day like a delicious and humorous prank. These ground beef cupcakes with mashed potatoes are the perfect way to have a fun dinner with the kids for April Fool’s day. These mini meatloaves are shaped into cupcake shapes and then topped with a creamy mashed potato topping that is simple to make.
Ground Beef Meatloaf Cupcakes
Our April Fools’ Day Meatloaf Cupcakes will be sure to surprise and delight any meat-eating friend or family member who finds themselves on the receiving end of your culinary humor. This mouth-watering meatloaf cupcake recipe calls for all of my favorite traditional meatloaf ingredients, mixed with a few unique touches–all served up with a side of playful surprises!
I love all holidays and I love making them fun for the kids and April Fool’s day is no exception. I have made this mini meatloaf recipe every year for many years now on April Fool’s day and my kids always love it. My kids are older now, a few of them teenagers and they know exactly what they are getting for dinner on April Fool’s day. But they still get excited to see these easy meatloaf muffins at the dinner table and I will continue to make them each year because they are fun and the perfect comfort food to make.
With just a few simple ingredients you can create this delicious dinner that is sure to be a family favorite. They look like regular cupcakes but they’re actually made with regular meatloaf and a mashed potato topping that is colored green. They are so fun and they are the perfect size for an individual serving. If you have picky eaters, this muffin pan meatloaf recipe is sure to be a hit with the fun take on traditional comfort food.
If you are not a fan of ground beef meatloaf then check out our turkey meatloaf cupcakes – they also have a mashed potato topping that is perfect for April Fool’s dinner!
While I know I say these are great for April Fool’s day I should also mention they are great for any time. They are easy to make so they make for a perfect busy night meal that the whole family will enjoy. So don’t worry about making them only for the fun holiday but make them anytime you want to!
Meatloaf Recipes
Ground Beef Meatloaf Cupcakes Ingredients
Ground beef. I use ground beef when making these meatloaf cupcakes but you can also use ground turkey, ground chicken or ground pork a meatloaf mixture.
Ketchup. If you are not a fan of ketchup you can use barbecue sauce instead.
Seasonings. For the meatloaf portion of the meatloaf cupcakes you will need garlic, oregano salt, and black pepper.
Veggies. In this mini meatloaf recipe, you will need Onion and green bell pepper. You can use other colored bell peppers and you can also use
Egg.
Breadcrumbs. I use traditional bread crumbs, you can use Italian flavored bedcrumbs or nonflavored breadcrumbs in this recipe.
Mashed Potatoes. You can use your favorite mashed potatoes recipe, my homemade mashed potatoes recipe, or store bought ones. I do however like my sour cream mashed potatoes the best for this recipe and have included the full ingredients and instructions for making them in the recipe card below.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Use fun cupcake liners. You are wanting to make these mini meatloaf muffins look like cupcakes and more like a dessert than a dinner item so using fun cupcake liners will make them look more realistic.
Skip using cupcake liners. If you want to make these into muffin tin meatloaf without topping them with mashed potatoes you can serve the mashed potatoes on the side. If you are not using cupcake liners then you will need to spray the muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray before putting the meatloaf mixture into the pan.
Frosting with mashed potatoes. You can use a pastry bag or a zipclose bag and pipe the mashed potatoes on top. You can also use a spoon or ice cream scoop and make a round topped frosting with the potatoes.
How to Make April Fools Day Meatloaf Cupcakes
Mix the meatloaf mixture in a large bowl.
Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Fill the cupcake liners with the meat mixture and bake in the preheated oven.
Make the mashed potatoes while the meatloaf is baking in the oven.
Color the mashed potatoes with food coloring.
Spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes on top of the cooked mini meatloaf cupcakes. You can also use an ice cream scoop to top the cupcakes with the mashed potatoes.
Place a cherry tomatoes on top of each mini meatloaf.
What to Serve with Meat Loaf
There are lots of sides that go well with meatloaf, you can serve your favorite veggie sides and a salad to complete the meal. If you are looking for some side dish ideas, here are a few of our favorites. I love Oven Roasted Parmesan Asparagus or Lemon Roasted Asparagus. Oven Roasted Broccoli, or Honey Garlic Roasted Carrots are another great tasting choice.
I always love the combination of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans so if you want to keep things simple a bag of frozen green beans topped with butter is also a great side dish to include in the meal.
How to Store Meatloaf Cupcakes
Your April Fools’ Day Meatloaf Cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Once the cupcakes have cooled, place them in the container and place them in the refrigerator.
Can They Be Frozen?
You can also wrap them individually and freeze them for up to three months, thawing before you serve. The best way to freeze the potato topped meatloaf cupcakes is to place them, still on the baking sheet or plate, in the freezer. Once frozen, wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and store it in a zippered freezer bag or storage container. I do suggest freezing the meatloaf and the mashed potatoes separately and putting them together when you are going to eat them as I find they freeze better that way.
These meatloaf cupcakes will keep for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, thaw them completely before reheating them in the oven or microwave.
Easy Ground Beef Recipes
Ground Beef Meatloaf Cupcakes for April Fools Day
Ingredients
Ground Beef Meatloaf Cupcakes Ingredients
Mashed Potatoes Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds yukon gold potatoes
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup white onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 Cherry tomatos for each cupcake
Instructions
Make the meatloaf
- Chop the onion into small pieces and set aside. Wash the bell pepper and chop it into small pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl add the ground beef, garlic, oregano, ketchup, egg, salt, pepper, chopped onion, choped bell pepper and bread crumbs together to form the meatloaf mixture.
- Line a 12 count muffin tin with cupcake liners and add the meatloaf mixture to the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 45 mins at 350.
Assemble the April Fools Meatloaf cupcakes:
- Get a cupcake pan and put the paper cupcake holder in make Meatloaf mix
- Fill cupcake holders with meatloaf mix and flatten the top so it is smooth
- Bake until cooked
Mashed Potaotes
- Boil the potatoes in a large stock pot until they are soft. While the potatoes are boiling dice your onion and cut the butter into small chunks and set aside.
- Return the potatoes to the stock pot and mash with a potato masher. Mash until as smooth as you can get them.
- Add in the sour cream and butter and mix until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.
- Add in the onions, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Add in the food coloring – as many drops to get the desired color you want and mix well.
- Spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes on top of the cooked meatloaf cupcakes.
- Add 1 Cherry tomato to the top of each cupcake.
Follow Us For More!
Be sure to share your review in the comments below and follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok for even more food + family fun!