What’s more fun than playing a harmless practical joke on your family? This one, well…it takes the cake!
When I met Ann and started cooking through her long list of recipes, I stumbled upon April Fool’s Fruit Punch. At the time, my kids were 2 and 4, and I knew I had to make it. Laughter abounded as both confused children tried to suck their Jell-O “juice” through straws, to no avail.
It was easy, fun, and it did the trick, as they say.
Now that my kids are older (and wiser!), I have to up my game. Ann’s April Fool’s Meatloaf Cake looked like the right choice. And when a teacher at the kids’s school told me she often makes Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf Muffins, Ann and I got to thinking…
We decided it would be fun to do meatloaf cupcakes, equally adorable and easy to serve and store leftovers. Ann had recently updated the meatloaf muffin recipe (it was an early blog addition from 2012!) and we piped mashed potatoes on top to look like frosting.
For the “frosting,” feel free to use your favorite mashed potatoes recipe. Ann’s Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes or the Make-Ahead Baked Mashed Potatoes work well. Keep in mind that peeling the potatoes and mashing to a uniform, creamy texture (a little thinner than you may ordinarily serve them) will make them easier to pipe and produce the best looking icing. Instant mashed potatoes or even the ones from the pre-made section of your local market can be great options too.
Since shortcuts can be very helpful, we tested packaged mashed potatoes at the photo shoot. To create a mixture that was creamy enough to pipe, we needed to add milk (broth would also work well). After that, the process was a breeze. We used a piping bag from the baking aisle of the grocery store, but you could certainly frost by hand. A festive swirl will add the celebratory vibe every good cupcake needs!
A halved tomato is certainly the cherry on top. We considered adding minced carrots, beets, or even hot pepper flakes for sprinkles, but they didn’t look believable. If you have an idea for believable sprinkles, please share in the comments section below. And remember to tag @fountainavenuekitchen when you post your family’s reactions!
Looking for more tricky food ideas? Check out our other April Fool’s Day Recipes!
I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and rate it. Your feedback is always appreciated. 💛
April Fool’s Day Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
Equipment
- Piping Bags with tips for mashed potato icing
Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds (20oz) ground turkey breast
- ½ a small to medium onion, cut into chunks (~4oz-115g)
- ½ a small to medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped (~3oz/85g; see notes)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¾ cup (67g) quick or old-fashioned oats (could substitute panko or crushed saltines if gluten-free recipe isn't needed)
- ½ tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup (64g) barbecue sauce
- ¼ cup (66g) salsa (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups (480g) prepared mashed potatoes (see recipe notes for helpful tips)
- 12 small cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half through the "equator"
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ and grease or line a 12-muffin tin.
- Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl.
- Place the onion and bell pepper in a food processor or mini chopper. Pulse until finely chopped (but not a paste), and then add to the ground turkey. Alternatively, you could finely chop the veggies by hand.
- Add the egg, oats, and steak seasoning to the bowl. I add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill too.
- In a small bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, salsa, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour into the bowl with the turkey and stir to fully incorporate. Take care not to over-mix, which makes the mixture pasty.
- Using an ice cream scoop, evenly fill the muffin tins, and lightly flatten with a fork.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned on top.
- Fill piping bag with mashed potatoes and an icing tip. Pipe about 2-3 tablespoons (30-40g) of mashed potatoes on each cupcake to look like frosting. No piping bag? Use a knife and give the topping a festive swirl.
- Top with the tomato half (the half without the stem mark) for the cherry on top!
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