If only a muffin tin could talk. “Honey, I’m ready to hold more than just muffin mix and cupcake mix.” “Sure cupcakes and muffins are yummy but let’s make something that your grandmother would be proud of.” “I don’t want to wait for a special occasion to be used.” “Let’s go on a culinary adventure.”
I know this might be a little scary but hey it’s going to be worth it- just wait and see. Nowadays muffin tins come in so many different sizes and shapes. Now you need to learn how to use them to their utmost potential. There are so many different choices of fun and easy to prepare meal options to pick from. You will never look at a muffin tin the same. We are going to shake up breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time, oh and don’t forget about dessert.
Breakfast
1) Mini Cinnamon Monkey Rolls
Ingredients:
• 12 Rhodes™ Dinner rolls, thaws but still cold
• 6 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• Icing:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1-2 tbsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla
How to Make it:
1) Cut each dinner roll into 6 equal pieces
2) In a bowl, combine butter and corn syrup and stir until well mixed
3) In another bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon and mix well
4) Dip 6 roll pieces at a time in the butter mixture and then in the sugar mixture
5) Place 6 pieces in each well (muffin tin cups) sprayed cup of a 12 muffin tin
6) Repeat with remaining roll pieces
7) Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let double in size
8) Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees 15-20 minutes
9) Cool 3-4 minutes before removing from pan
10) Combine icing ingredients and mix well.
11) Drizzle over money breads if desired.
2) Low Carb. Ham and Egg Bowls
Ingredients:
• ½ egg per cup
• A little heavy cream (or milk)
• Grated cheese (your pick)
• Onions and pepper, diced small
• A small pat of butter
• A couple of young green onions
• Ham slices, a little think
• Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make it:
1) To sauté the onions, I cheated a little. I added the butter to the frozen onions/peppers and threw them in the microwave for 2 minutes.
2) Spray the muffin tin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Line each with slice of ham
3) Add the cooked onions/peppers
4) Sprinkle in the cheese.
5) Pour in the egg mixture
a. Eggs
b. A little heavy cream
c. Salt and pepper
d. Beat well with a fork
6) Chop a small green onion top divide onto each.
7) Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes
So your final ham cups are just perfect! Fully cheesy eggy filling, salt crunchy outside.
Lunch or Dinner
1) Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Ingredients:
• A can of Pillsbury® Grands!® Flack Layers refrigerated biscuits
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups of frozen vegetables
• 1 can of cooked chicken
How to Make it:
• Take each of your biscuits, flatten them and put in your sprayed muffin tins
• Take your 2 cups of vegetables, your can of cooked chicken and your cream of chicken soup and mix them together.
• Add your chicken veggie mix to each of the biscuits that you’r flattened. Use about 2 heaping tablespoons. Add some shredded cheese if you like!
• Bake at 375 for 20 minutes until your biscuits are golden brown
2) Taco Supreme Bowls
Ingredients:
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package of Old El Pase seasoning mix
• 36 wonton wrappers
• 1 (16 ounce) can Old El Paso refried beans
• 36 tortilla chips
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour optional toppings: cream, diced tomatoes, cilantro, onion
How to Make it:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 18 muffin cups with cooking spray
2. Brown beef in a skillet and drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning mix and water called for on the package and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Place one wonton wrapper in the bottom of each muffin cup. Layer about 1 tbsp of refried beans on top of each wonton. Crush one tortilla chip on top of the beans. Top with 1 tbsp of taco meat and 1 tbsp of shredded cheese. Repeat the layers again with a wonton wrapper, refried beans, tortilla chips meat, and cheese.
4. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove cupcakes from tin and top with your favorite taco toppings (i.e. sour cream, diced tomatoes, onion, or cilantro)
3) Mini Lasagna Cups
Ingredients:
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb sausage
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce
• 1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 24 wonton wrappers
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheese
How to Make it:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brown sausage and hamburger in large skillet over medium high heat and drain.
3. Divide into 4 portions and reserve three for another night. Add spaghetti sauce to remaining meat mixture and stir to combine.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta the salt and pepper and stir to combine.
5. Coat a large bowl, combine the ricotta the salt and pepper and stir to combine.
6. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray, and arrange a wonton wrapper in each cup.
7. Take half the ricotta mixture and divide it among the 12 cups.
8. Top with half of the meat sauce, and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
9. Place another wonton wrapper over the cheese, and repeat the layers by adding the remaining ricotta cheese, meat sauce, and top with shredded cheese.
4) Cheeseburger Cups
Ingredients:
• Sauce
o ½ cup mayonnaise
o 2 tbsp ketchup
o 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 36 wonton wrappers
• Burger
o 1 lb lean ground beef
o ¼ chopped onion
o ½ tsp salt
o ½ tsp pepper
o ½ cup chopped dill pickles
o ½ cup milk
• 12 (3/4-ounce) slices your chose of cheese
• Toppings
o 1 cup chopped lettuce
o 1 tbsp sesame seed
How to Make it:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine all sauce ingredients in bowl. Refrigerate until serving time.
3. Spray mini-muffin pan cups with no-stick cooking spray.
4. Press 1 wonton wrapper into each cup.
5. Bake 6-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
6. Cool completely; remove from pan.
7. Cook ground beef, onion, salt pepper in 12 in skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned.
8. Drain, if necessary.
9. Stir in pickles, milk and cheese.
10. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted.
11. Spoon meat mixture evenly into each wonton cup.
12. Top each with chopped lettuce, sauce and sesame seed. Serve immediately.
Snacks
1) Spinach Artichoke Dip
Ingredients:
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese
• 1, 14 oz can artichoke heats, drained & chopped
• 1, 10 oz box of chopped spinach, thawed & drained
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1, 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
• 3 tsp garlic, chopped
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• 36 wonton wrappers
How to Make it:
1. Preheat oven to 325, spray an 8×8 baking.
2. Spray 3 mini muffin pans with cooking spray.
3. Press the wonton wrappers into each little cup of the muffin pan until they are all filled.
4. Place the pans in the oven and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until they just start to get golden brown around the edges.
5. Remove pans from oven and spoon the spinach artichoke dip into each little cup until they are all full.
6. Cover each pan with a piece of aluminum foil, but tent it so the foil isn’t touching the pan in the middle.
7. Place in oven and cook for 12 minutes. Remove foil, then cook another 2-4 minutes, or until mixture starts to bubble and the edges are browned, but not burned.
8. Remove from oven and place each bite onto a serving platter.
9. This recipe should make about 36 little bites, but it really depends on how much filling you put into each one.
Dessert
1) Mini Huckleberries Pies
Ingredients:
• Pie Crust
o 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
o 1 tsp salt
o 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
o ¼ cup ice water, plus more if needed
o 1 tsp lemon juice (mixed into the ice water)
• Huckleberry Glaze
o 2 cup berries
o 1 cup sugar
o 4 tbsp corn starch
How to Make it:
1. Pie Crust
a. In a bowl, combine flour and salt.
b. Add butter and mix together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, for about 10 seconds.
c. While the mixer is on add (lemony) ice water to mixture, keep mixing until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky.
d. Test the dough by squeezing a small amount of dough together; if it is still to crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tbsp at a time.
e. Turn out dough onto a clean work surface.
f. Shape into flattened disk.
g. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Glazed Huckleberry Pie
a. In a pot add 1 cup of berries and the 2/3 cups water and bring it to a boil for 5 minutes.
b. Mix in the 1 cup of sugar, then add another 1/3 cups of water, and add in 4 tbsp of corn starch into the berry mixture.
c. Cook until clear and until thick.
d. Next add in 1 tbsp margarine.
e. Cook the filling until it gets thick.
f. Finally add in 1 cup of uncooked berries and then spoon into backed pie shell.
Great blog Taylor! I love the recipes & photos.