April Fools Meal

Last year, I started on a kick to make meals that fit holidays (not Christmas and Easter and Thanksgiving but the silly little ones....) 

Like April Fool's Day, so for dinner we had cupcakes....

Or did we?? :)

I found this idea on family fun's website (they have the cutest simple ideas) - 

The kids loved it (even the ones that rarely eat meatloaf because, well, it contains beef).

One asked to do the idea again this year (which is funny because it's not much april fools joke when you know it's coming, but we'll probably go with it.)

I used the meatloaf recipe that my mom uses - I think it came from Lipton Onion Soup Mix box back:


Meatloaf:
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 eggs
3/4 cup water (I often leave this out unless I get the leanest beef, then it needs some water)
1/3 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, combine all ingredients.

In 13 x 9-inch baking or roasting pan, shape into loaf. (or in this case, fill muffin cups - don't use papers, the grease just destroys them - put the meatloaf in paper cups when you take them out of the pan to give the cupcake look)

Bake uncovered 1 hour or until done. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I "frosted" my meatloaf cupcakes with pink-tinted mashed potatoes...
You can use instant or homemade. I don't really have a recipe for homemade, I just make them until they taste right. (I'll figure out a "real" recipe for mashed potatoes with exact amounts of salt, water, milk, etc. later...because it would be quicker than taste testing every time over and over til I get it right.)

I use about 5 lbs of potatoes (peeled, chopped, and cooked until a fork pierced cuts the potato in half), then I drain a lot of the water, leaving some, and add a stick of real butter, salt, pepper, and enough milk to make them creamy. Blending the whole time with a hand mixer.

And I always have too many mashed potatoes left over!