Savory muffin tin recipes are a great way to make easy fun healthy meals for kids the whole family will eat.
I have teenage picky eaters (yep, they can still be older and just as picky as ever.)
I have cooked different meals at dinnertime for each of them more times than I want to admit just to keep them each happy and fed. ( Surprisingly, simple summer pasta salads are one meal both boys like. You would think the word "salad" alone would scare them away.)
Then I discovered the magic of fun quick easy muffin tin meals. Use muffin tins for dinner? Who knew??
Then I discovered the magic of fun quick easy muffin tin meals. Use muffin tins for dinner? Who knew??
Turns out teenage boys still love fun finger food for dinner. And that's okay with me. Fewer forks and spoons to wash. HA.
Even better, everyone in the family gets to customize their own individual muffin cup meals. No more bickering over how dinner is made.
So when someone is craving chicken in their mini enchilada cups, but someone else wants just cheese in their enchilada. Not a problem. To each his own mini enchilada cups.
Sometimes it's the little things.
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One bite of jalapeno popper cups baked in a muffin tin, and you are going to ask yourself, "why have I never tried these little bits of heaven before?"
I am not kidding. Imagine biting into a crispy wonton filled with melted cheese, jalapeno peppers, cream cheese, and crispy bacon bits.
Photo: Eating On a Dime
Cooking eggs in a muffin tin is easy peasy (and a nice break from scrambled eggs in a pan.). And kids get to eat their food with their hands, which makes this a perfect breakfast food for on-the-go busy mornings.
Try this make-ahead Asparagus Egg Bake Casserole for leisurely weekend breakfast ideas or special brunches.
You can make extra egg and cheese muffins to put in the freezer. Then on those busy school mornings, just grab and defrost for a quick breakfast for kids they can eat in the car.
Get the Recipe at Eating On a Dime.
Photo: Taste of Home
Mini Muffin tin pizzas are fun to make and eat. Kids can make their individual pizzas just how they want them.
When you need super easy recipes for those crazy busy weeknights, use refrigerated pizza dough and ready-made pizza sauce.
Once you get pizza dough in the individual muffin cups, add sauce and toppings, and pop the muffin tin in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Get the recipe at Taste of Home.
Photo: Rachel Cooks
This Spinach Frittata Muffin recipe is an easy healthy cheap dinner idea kids and the whole family will love. Plus, any leftover spinach muffins are easy to freeze as well, so you can enjoy them anytime.
(Spinach muffins also make easy delicious delicious party appetizers)
And it is a fast and easy dinner recipe to make. All you need are eggs, cheese, milk, and spinach. Coat the muffin tin with a little olive oil, and you are ready to whip up a batch.
Add spices or ingredients that your family loves or just stick to the basic ingredients, either way, these frittata muffins are delicious.
Get the recipe at Rachel Cooks.
Photo: Gimme Some Oven
Mini Cheesy Enchilada Cups are the best way to eat enchiladas because you get to eat enchiladas with your hands.
It's the little things, right?
Of course, for those nights you prefer to use a fork to eat dinner, this cheesy chicken enchilada casserole recipe is as delicious. And when fall rolls around, oven-baked casseroles are the best favorite comfort food.
Mini flour tortillas will fit nicely into muffin cups. Then everyone in the family can make their own perfect enchiladas, just the way they like them. Add the enchilada sauce, and pop the pan in the oven.
Make vegetarian enchiladas, chicken enchiladas, and black bean enchiladas, all in the same muffin tin.
One pan. Yummy enchiladas dinner. Happy family. Easy clean-up.
Get the recipe at Gimme Some Oven.
Mini Cheeseburger Sliders really are one of those unexpected things you can make in a muffin tin. At least to me anyway.
Add a salad and fresh lemonade to make a healthy summer meal for the family.
Turn this into a vegetarian muffin tin recipe by skipping the ground beef and using a yummy veggie burger recipe instead.
Start with half a hamburger bun pressed into each muffin tin cup. Then fill each cup with your seasoned filling mixture.
This recipe may take more time than some of the others as you need to cook the ground beef ( or veggie burgers and seasonings ) before spooning the mixture into the cups. But these mini cheeseburgers are worth it!!
But once you have everything in the muffin cups and are ready to put the pan in the oven, these cheeseburger sliders will be ready to eat in about 9 minutes.
Get the recipe at Betty Crocker.
Pull out your muffin tin to make an easy three-ingredient chili cups recipe.
Use refrigerated biscuit dough to put in each muffin cup.
Add cheese into each cup and spoon in warm spicy chili. To make this recipe in a flash, use ready-made chili.
Cover each cup with strips of biscuits (you need to save two of the refrigerated biscuits for this last step.)
Pop chili cups in the oven and they should be ready to be devoured in about 20 minutes or so.
Get the recipe at Pillsbury
The whole family is going to LOVE these tasty little muffins filled with seasoned grounded beef and yummy taco fixings. Again, you can switch to veggie crumbles to turn this into a vegetarian taco recipe.
Mini taco muffin cups can also be made quickly on busy school nights if you use refrigerated pizza dough and packaged taco seasoning.
Get the recipe at Julie's Eats and Treats.
Photo: Family Food on the Table
Of course, I had to include a healthy veggie mac and cheese muffin tin dinner recipe on my list.
I mean, mac and cheese is a staple in our house, and it probably is in yours too.
They look delicious and I figure what macaroni-and-cheese-loving kid is not going to appreciate their favorite dinner being served as finger food??
These muffins are filled with cheese, pasta, and 3 different vegetables.
I know. 3 vegetables.
For kids that need extra encouragement to eat their veggies, hopefully, the lure of holding macaroni and cheese in their hands is enough distraction to keep them from worrying about eating healthy vegetables!
Get the Recipe at Family Food on the Table.
Egg-free and gluten-free muffins made with ground turkey and healthy veggies look ah.maz.ing.
And did you know that this recipe for turkey is a much faster way to cook ground meat than cooking it in a regular loaf pan?
Ready to take out that muffin tin yet??
Get the recipe at Five Heart Home.
Yummy make-ahead sausage egg muffins are perfect to grab and eat on crazy busy weekday mornings.
But they also make sweet and savory treats for a leisurely weekend morning brunch.
Make-ahead sausage and egg muffins are easy to freeze. On busy mornings, all you need to do is grab some out of the freezer and heat.
To freeze egg breakfast sandwiches, let them cool for about 2 hours after they come out of the oven.
Then go ahead and place them in a large zip lock bag and freeze.
Get the Recipe at EveryDay Savvy
Scrumptious pancake muffins are the best way to start a busy school morning. They are easy to make and even more fun to eat on the way out the door.
This recipe is for a mini muffin pan. So if you use a regular-size muffin tin, you will need to add more cooking time.
Add family-favorite ingredients like cooked sausage, chocolate chips, or fresh blueberries to the mix.
If you are eating at home, then pour on the maple syrup.
If you and the kids are grabbing a muffin as you leave the house, skip the syrup. Maybe.
Get the Recipe at The Diary of a Real Housewife.
1. Jalapeno Popper Wonton Cups
One bite of jalapeno popper cups baked in a muffin tin, and you are going to ask yourself, "why have I never tried these little bits of heaven before?"
I am not kidding. Imagine biting into a crispy wonton filled with melted cheese, jalapeno peppers, cream cheese, and crispy bacon bits.
And if you prefer a vegetarian version, these bacon-free poppers are every bit as delicious (maybe even better.)
Jalapeno poppers make a delicious appetizer, or better yet, a summer evening family meal outside. Just add some fruit or salad, and you have an easy fun summer dinner!!
2. Muffin Tin Egg Bites
Photo: Eating On a Dime
Cooking eggs in a muffin tin is easy peasy (and a nice break from scrambled eggs in a pan.). And kids get to eat their food with their hands, which makes this a perfect breakfast food for on-the-go busy mornings.
Try this make-ahead Asparagus Egg Bake Casserole for leisurely weekend breakfast ideas or special brunches.
You can make extra egg and cheese muffins to put in the freezer. Then on those busy school mornings, just grab and defrost for a quick breakfast for kids they can eat in the car.
Get the Recipe at Eating On a Dime.
3. Mini Pizzas Muffin Cups
Photo: Taste of Home
Mini Muffin tin pizzas are fun to make and eat. Kids can make their individual pizzas just how they want them.
When you need super easy recipes for those crazy busy weeknights, use refrigerated pizza dough and ready-made pizza sauce.
Once you get pizza dough in the individual muffin cups, add sauce and toppings, and pop the muffin tin in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Get the recipe at Taste of Home.
4. Spinach Frittata Muffins
Photo: Rachel Cooks
This Spinach Frittata Muffin recipe is an easy healthy cheap dinner idea kids and the whole family will love. Plus, any leftover spinach muffins are easy to freeze as well, so you can enjoy them anytime.
(Spinach muffins also make easy delicious delicious party appetizers)
And it is a fast and easy dinner recipe to make. All you need are eggs, cheese, milk, and spinach. Coat the muffin tin with a little olive oil, and you are ready to whip up a batch.
Add spices or ingredients that your family loves or just stick to the basic ingredients, either way, these frittata muffins are delicious.
Get the recipe at Rachel Cooks.
5. Mini Cheese Enchilada Muffin Tin Recipe
Photo: Gimme Some Oven
Mini Cheesy Enchilada Cups are the best way to eat enchiladas because you get to eat enchiladas with your hands.
It's the little things, right?
Of course, for those nights you prefer to use a fork to eat dinner, this cheesy chicken enchilada casserole recipe is as delicious. And when fall rolls around, oven-baked casseroles are the best favorite comfort food.
Mini flour tortillas will fit nicely into muffin cups. Then everyone in the family can make their own perfect enchiladas, just the way they like them. Add the enchilada sauce, and pop the pan in the oven.
Make vegetarian enchiladas, chicken enchiladas, and black bean enchiladas, all in the same muffin tin.
One pan. Yummy enchiladas dinner. Happy family. Easy clean-up.
Get the recipe at Gimme Some Oven.
6. Muffin Tin Cheeseburger Sliders
Mini Cheeseburger Sliders really are one of those unexpected things you can make in a muffin tin. At least to me anyway.
Add a salad and fresh lemonade to make a healthy summer meal for the family.
Turn this into a vegetarian muffin tin recipe by skipping the ground beef and using a yummy veggie burger recipe instead.
Start with half a hamburger bun pressed into each muffin tin cup. Then fill each cup with your seasoned filling mixture.
This recipe may take more time than some of the others as you need to cook the ground beef ( or veggie burgers and seasonings ) before spooning the mixture into the cups. But these mini cheeseburgers are worth it!!
But once you have everything in the muffin cups and are ready to put the pan in the oven, these cheeseburger sliders will be ready to eat in about 9 minutes.
Get the recipe at Betty Crocker.
7. Quick Chili Recipe
Pull out your muffin tin to make an easy three-ingredient chili cups recipe.
Use refrigerated biscuit dough to put in each muffin cup.
Add cheese into each cup and spoon in warm spicy chili. To make this recipe in a flash, use ready-made chili.
Cover each cup with strips of biscuits (you need to save two of the refrigerated biscuits for this last step.)
Pop chili cups in the oven and they should be ready to be devoured in about 20 minutes or so.
Get the recipe at Pillsbury
8. Taco Muffin Cups
The whole family is going to LOVE these tasty little muffins filled with seasoned grounded beef and yummy taco fixings. Again, you can switch to veggie crumbles to turn this into a vegetarian taco recipe.
Mini taco muffin cups can also be made quickly on busy school nights if you use refrigerated pizza dough and packaged taco seasoning.
Get the recipe at Julie's Eats and Treats.
9. Veggie Mac and Cheese Muffins
Photo: Family Food on the Table
Of course, I had to include a healthy veggie mac and cheese muffin tin dinner recipe on my list.
I mean, mac and cheese is a staple in our house, and it probably is in yours too.
They look delicious and I figure what macaroni-and-cheese-loving kid is not going to appreciate their favorite dinner being served as finger food??
These muffins are filled with cheese, pasta, and 3 different vegetables.
I know. 3 vegetables.
For kids that need extra encouragement to eat their veggies, hopefully, the lure of holding macaroni and cheese in their hands is enough distraction to keep them from worrying about eating healthy vegetables!
Get the Recipe at Family Food on the Table.
10. Ground Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
Egg-free and gluten-free muffins made with ground turkey and healthy veggies look ah.maz.ing.
And did you know that this recipe for turkey is a much faster way to cook ground meat than cooking it in a regular loaf pan?
Ready to take out that muffin tin yet??
Get the recipe at Five Heart Home.
11. Make-Ahead Sausage Egg Cheese Muffins
Yummy make-ahead sausage egg muffins are perfect to grab and eat on crazy busy weekday mornings.
But they also make sweet and savory treats for a leisurely weekend morning brunch.
Make-ahead sausage and egg muffins are easy to freeze. On busy mornings, all you need to do is grab some out of the freezer and heat.
To freeze egg breakfast sandwiches, let them cool for about 2 hours after they come out of the oven.
Then go ahead and place them in a large zip lock bag and freeze.
Get the Recipe at EveryDay Savvy
12. Pancake Mini Muffins
Scrumptious pancake muffins are the best way to start a busy school morning. They are easy to make and even more fun to eat on the way out the door.
This recipe is for a mini muffin pan. So if you use a regular-size muffin tin, you will need to add more cooking time.
Add family-favorite ingredients like cooked sausage, chocolate chips, or fresh blueberries to the mix.
If you are eating at home, then pour on the maple syrup.
If you and the kids are grabbing a muffin as you leave the house, skip the syrup. Maybe.
Get the Recipe at The Diary of a Real Housewife.
