You may have seen mini meals in the shape of muffins on your favorite Pinterest boards and food bloggers’ sites. We love the idea of these portion-sized meals that will keep you full. Not only that, but they’re great to have on hand for lunches, dinners, and snacks throughout the week. Here, international fitness model, foodie, and mom of three, Tiffany Lee Gaston, shares three of her favorite muffin recipes that are the base of delicious, healthy meals. Cook them up on the weekend and reheat them all week long!

Tip: Try Hunt’s version of a Mini Meatloaf Recipe!

Recipe: Turkey Cranberry Mini Meatloaves

This recipe will remind you of a smaller version of Thanksgiving dinner!

Servings: 12 mini loaves

Ingredients:

1½ lbs. ground turkey
1 egg
¾ c almond meal
¼ medium onion minced
1 clove minced garlic
½ c canned whole cranberries
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. Herbes De Provence

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Place onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
3. Add all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
4. Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, spoon into greased muffin tins filling nearly to the top.
5. Press down firmly to pack and bake for 32-35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
6. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin.

Recipe: Mini Veggie Frittatas on Ham Crust

These frittatas are great for an easy breakfast when you’re short on time, or an appetizer!

Servings: 12 mini loaves

Ingredients:

12 eggs
12 slices of ham
¼ c jalapeno (or more to taste)
½ c diced tomatoes
¼ c finely chopped onion
½ c diced cooked potatoes or hash browns (can purchase pre-cooked in bag)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Whisk eggs.  Place a slice of ham in each section of a greased muffin tin.  
3. Fill with egg mixture, no more than ½ to ¾ full depending on how much of the veggie mixture you prefer. \
4. In another bowl, combine all veggies; season to taste with salt and pepper.
5.  Spoon veggie mixture evenly into each frittata cup giving a little stir to incorporate ingredients.
6. Bake for 28-30 minutes.

Recipe: Steak and Smashed Potato Mini Meatloaves

Have your steak and eat it, too (with spuds), in these tasty mini meals.

Servings: 12 mini loaves

1½ lbs. lean ground beef
¾ c almond meal
1 egg
¾ c diced cooked potatoes smashed (try packaged diced potatoes for convenience)
¼ medium onion finely chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. rosemary

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, season ground beef with sea salt, pepper and rosemary and add in onion, garlic, and potatoes.
3. Combine well and use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to drop mixture into greased muffin tins filling nearly to the top.
4. Press down firmly to pack and bake for 32-35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
5. Let cool 5 minutes before removing.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Pure Wesson® Canola Oil
• 1 cup chopped red onion, divided
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups brown rice, uncooked
• 2 cans (8 oz each) Hunt's® Tomato Sauce-No Salt Added
• 3-1/2 cups water
• 4 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
• 1-1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
• 1 can (15 oz each) Ranch Style® Black Beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz each) garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can (10 oz each) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained
• 1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-1/2 cups shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

Directions

1.    Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add 2/3 cup of the onion and the garlic; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice; cook and stir 2 minutes.

2.    Add tomato sauce, water, ground chile and 1 teaspoon of the cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

3.    Meanwhile, place both beans, drained tomatoes, corn, the remaining onion, cilantro, lime juice, hot sauce and the remaining cumin in large bowl. Mix well; set aside.

4.    When rice is done, stir in salt. Divide hot rice mixture among 8 individual bowls or spread in 13x9-inch dish. Top with cheese, lettuce and bean mixture. Serve immediately and top each serving with sour cream.

Ingredients

• PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 2 tablespoons Pure Wesson® Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (29 oz each) Hunt's® Tomato Puree
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 corn tortillas
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 3 cups shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend (3 cups = 12 oz)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes or until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in tomato puree, chili powder, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Layer 4 tortillas, half of the chicken, 2/3 cup cheese and 1/4 of the sauce in prepared dish. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 tortillas, remaining sauce and remaining 2/3 cup cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

3. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 minutes more. Cut into 8 pieces.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 breasts = 1-1/4 lb)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped zucchini and/or yellow squash
• 1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes with Rosemary & Oregano, undrained

Directions

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken on each side with garlic salt and pepper. Place in skillet; cook 6 minutes to brown, turning once. Remove from skillet; keep warm.

2. Place zucchini and onion in skillet. Cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in undrained tomatoes.

3. Return chicken to skillet. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in centers (165°F). Serve vegetable mixture over chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground round beef (85% lean)
• 1/2 cup Kraft® Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 3 teaspoons finely chopped garlic, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup Hunt's® Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 mini sandwich buns
• 6 slices (1 oz each) part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut in half

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine beef, Parmesan cheese, parsley, egg and 1 teaspoon garlic in medium bowl. Divide mixture into 12 portions; shape into meatballs and place on aluminum foil-lined shallow baking pan. Bake 15 minutes or until done (160°F).
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 2 teaspoons garlic, cook 1 minute more or until fragrant. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
3. Place open buns on baking sheet. Spoon sauce on bottom of each bun; place 1 meatball on each bun and more sauce, if desired. Top each with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts and bun tops are lightly crisped. Close with tops of buns.

Nutritional Information

6 servings (2 sandwiches each) Calories 507; Total Fat 20 g(Saturated Fat 8 g); Cholesterol 102 mg; Sodium 1234 mg; Carbohydrate 45 g; (Dietary Fiber 4 g, Sugars 9 g); Protein 33 g; Percent Daily Values*: Vitamin A 13%; Vitamin C 17%; Calcium 47%; Iron 28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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