Diner Meat Loaf 'Muffins'

Sit down to a meat loaf in a half hour with this recipe. Serve with steamed green beans and roasted potato wedges for an at-home version of a blue-plate special.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 "muffins")

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  finely chopped onion
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped carrot
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  cup  ketchup, divided
• 1 1/2  pounds  ground beef, extra lean (raw)
• 1  cup  finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
• 2  tablespoons  prepared mustard
• 1  teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  large eggs
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.

Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.

Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

276 (28% from fat)

Fat:

8.6g (sat 3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

28.7g

Carbohydrate:

21.7g

Fiber:

1.8g

Cholesterol:

131mg

Iron:

3.9mg

Sodium:

759mg

Calcium:

48mg