Tag: Lunch Box Muffins

Crustless Quiche Muffins

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In an attempt to tempt Michael to try spinach, I decided to mix the “loathed” vegetable with one of his favorite foods: eggs. Not only did he approve, but he gobbled down two! This recipe is also great for serving to last-minute company.

These individual, crustless quiches are perfect on-the-go meals. Whip up a batch (or two) on Sunday evening, and you have an easy go-to breakfast for busy weekday mornings. They’re also really versatile – this version features spinach and a combination of cheddar and mozzarella, but cooked broccoli and cheddar or crispy bacon can easily be substituted or added!

Note: Crustless quiches can be placed in a large ziplock bag or individually wrapped and frozen.

Crustless Quiche Muffins (makes 12)

4 large eggs
1 cup (or 1 10oz box) frozen chopped spinach or other vegetable
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I use a combination of mozzarella and Cheddar)
1/4 tsp salt
onion powder (to taste)
garlic powder (to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pans with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. Thaw spinach in microwave and squeeze out extra juice.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Spoon mixture into the cupcake liners until 3/4 full.
5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

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Thai Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Muffin Mama4 Comments

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This Thai-flavored recipe creates a stark contrast to the “comfort food” meatloaf that made me cringe when I was a kid. That meatloaf was not pretty, rather dry, and covered in ketchup. My own children would never fall for this, half of them detest ketchup, and the other half have an aversion to meat.

These Thai Turkey Meatloaf Muffins won’t bring you back to your childhood, but they will win over you and your modern-day family. Thai flavors infuse these super moist muffins that are protein packed with ground turkey, rice, coconut and Thai seasonings. The peanut sauce tastes delicious throughout and as a dip.

This quick-and-easy recipe is not only something else to do with ground turkey, but it’s foolproof. Throw the ingredients together and into the oven, or mix ahead of time and pop in the fridge until 30 minutes before hunger sets in. If you have leftovers, these muffins are perfect for reheating.

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Thai Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (makes 12)
1.25 Lb ground turkey (preferably  a mix of half dark meat and half light meat)
3/4 cup rice, cooked
1/4 tsp cilantro
1/4 tsp lemon grass
1/4 tsp scallions
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup Thai peanut sauce
2 tsp sesame oil (or peanut oil)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat 12 muffin-pan cups with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine turkey, rice, seasoning, coconut milk, peanut sauce, and sesame oil, and mix thoroughly with hands.
3. Distribute turkey mixture into the muffin-pan cups and press into mixture with back of spoon.
4. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Serve with peanut sauce.

Fluffernutter Muffins

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A Fluffernutter, for the uninitiated, is a sandwich made of marshmallow Fluff and peanut butter. Because it’s simple to make and requires very few ingredients, the Fluffernutter was always a staple in my mother’s kitchen. As a kid, I loved Fluffernutter sandwiches. How could a sandwich called “Fluffernutter” be anything but delicious?

To these muffins, I’ve added banana to improve the creamy texture and wonderful flavor. I like to warm these in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds so the marshmallow on top is gooey. Michael loves licking the melted marshmallow on top before devouring the rest. Thank goodness, Joey overcame his initial discomfort with the sticky consistency of melted marshmallow. These muffins are a staple in our home. Discover which filling and toppings work for you!

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Fluffernutter Muffins (makes 12)

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 medium bananas, mashed
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
¼ cup marshmallow cream
½ cup small marshmallows OR 12 large marshmallows (optional)
½ cup peanut butter chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine banana, peanut butter, brown sugar and oil until creamy. Add egg.
4. Add wet mixture to flour mixture, alternating with milk.
5. Divide 1/3 of the batter into muffin cup bottoms.
6. Place one heaping teaspoon of marshmallow cream and a few small marshmallows (optional) into each center.
7. Top with remaining muffin batter.
8. Place about 3-4 small marshmallows AND/OR 1 large marshmallow AND/OR some peanut butter chips on each muffin top and prod into batter (optional).
9. Bake 20-22 minutes or until light golden brown and risen.
10. Allow to cool 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

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Macaroni and Cheese Muffins

Muffin Mama2 Comments

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Hooray for handheld mac and cheese! This spin-off of the traditional macaroni and cheese is an invitation for kids to eat with their hands. The layered textures are fun—the bottom, soft and decadent, melts in the mouth; the crunchy top is munchable. These muffins freeze well, re-heat easily and make tasty lunchtime treats.

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Macaroni and Cheese Muffins (makes 18)

2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 Tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup milk (whole or skim)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp pepper (to taste)

 

Crunchy Topping

1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. In a bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, olive oil, and salt.
2. Add cheese.

 

Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease tin with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes (until slightly firm).
3. Remove pot from heat, drain macaroni, and return macaroni to pot. Stir in butter and beaten egg until pasta is evenly coated.
4. Add to the pasta the Cheddar cheese, milk, Parmesan, mozzarella, and cottage cheese. Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir.
5. Distribute mixture into each cup of prepared muffin tin.
6. Sprinkle the Crunchy Topping mixture over the tops.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until tops are nicely browned.
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing muffins from the tin (this allows the cheese to set and muffins to take shape).