Savory cupcakes for the main course

Cupcakes don’t have to be sweet.

A muffin tin can be used to bake a main course that’s just as portable and just as handy as any peach muffin or carrot cake cupcake.

What about that cup of coffee or a big glass of milk with a lasagna cupcake? Or limeade with a taco cupcake that won’t collapse into shards of crisp corn tortilla?

Pizza, nachos, chicken pot pie – many of your family’s dinner time favorites lend themselves to the cupcake treatment.

Meat loaf mixtures are the easiest to re-imagine in cupcake form. Use your favorite meat loaf recipe and bake the individual servings at 400 degrees. Tuck an olive, a cube of cheese or a few steamed bits of carrot inside the cupcakes for savory surprise.

While the meatloaf cupcakes are baking, whip up white potatoes or sweet potatoes for a creamy topping. Dollop the potatoes on top of the baked cupcakes and run them under the broiler to crisp up the peaks.

What about cupcakes made on breakfast principles? Line a muffin tin with pie crust, fillo or a square of soft bread, then fill with your favorite quiche mixture and top with crumbled bacon or sauteed mushrooms before baking.

Or take your favorite omelet fillings, saute them in a little butter and stir them into eggs. Add a little grated cheese and then pour into well-greased muffin tins. Add hash brown potatoes and a salad and dinner is ready.

A few tips:

Use well-greased muffin tins and bake your cupcakes at 400 degrees to quickly crisp the outside and make the individual servings more manageable.

Precook any ingredients that won’t bake through during the cooking time or will exude a lot of liquid. This is particularly important when cooking sausages or ground beef where the fat draining off the cooking meat would ruin the texture of the rest of the cupcake. Or when cooking with vegetables that sweat a lot of juices like zucchini and mushrooms.

Be sure the mixture or its liner will hold up when removed from the muffin tin. Pie crust, biscuit dough, egg-rich mixtures? Yes. A loose mixture of sauteed meat and vegetables? Probably not.

Topper: Savory cupcakes work for a family dinner or make fun dinner party food.

Chicken Souvlaki

1 pound small red potatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

5 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon pepper, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, divided

1 pound ground chicken

4 eggs

1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese

2 cups plain low-fat yogurt

1 small cucumber, grated

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

Wash potatoes, and using a mandolin, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices. Toss potato slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and arrange on a pie plate. Cover with waxed paper and microwave 8 minutes. Remove from microwave and gently toss potato slices with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon oregano. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, stir together chicken, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon oregano. Using a 1-teaspoon scoop or a teaspoon, form 36 small balls and place 3 balls in the cups of prepared muffin pan. Bake 5 minutes or just until set.

Remove muffin pan from oven and remove meatballs from each cup and set aside on a dinner plate. They will hold together in one piece. Drain off all fat. Immediately line each cup with reserved potato slices. Place one in the bottom and arrange the others around the sides.

In a small bowl, use a fork to stir together eggs and Swiss cheese. Divide egg mixture between potato-lined muffin cups. Top each with 3 prebaked chicken meatballs. Bake 15 minutes or until muffins are set.

While muffins are baking, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, remaining tablespoon lemon juice and cucumber. Taste for seasoning. Keep chilled until ready to use.

Remove muffins from oven and cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with yogurt sauce. Makes: 12 muffins

Per muffin: 227 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 18 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 12 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 113 milligrams cholesterol, 279 milligrams sodium.

Individual Lasagna

2 pounds zucchini

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon oregano

Salt and pepper

6 lasagna noodles (about 5 ounces)

1 cup part skim ricotta

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tablespoons pesto

1/2 cup grated low-fat mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

Cut ends off zucchini and grate the flesh. Put flesh into a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl and cover with waxed paper. Cook 8 minutes on high. Remove zucchini from microwave and put flesh into a fine-mesh sieve. Using a rubber scraper, press the mixture to remove all liquid. You should have 1 1/2 cups cooked zucchini. Discard liquid. Set solids aside.

While zucchini is in microwave, start sauce. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute 5 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and oregano. Season to taste. Keep mixture at a simmer while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Follow package directions and cook lasagna noodles until tender. Drain and lay out on work surface.

While noodles are cooking, stir together ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Set aside.

Spoon 1 teaspoon sauce in each cup of the muffin pan.

When noodles are ready, divide pesto between noodles and spread evenly over surface. Arrange 1/4 cup reserved zucchini on each noodle and spread evenly over surface. Put 1/4 cup ricotta mixture on each noodle and spread evenly over surface. Roll up noodles and using a serrated knife, cut each roll in half. Arrange rolled noodle cut side down in prepared muffin pan. Repeat with remaining noodles and divide sauce between muffin cups. Cover pan tightly with foil that’s been treated with cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven, remove foil and sprinkle mozzarella over rolls. Return to oven for 5 minutes or just until mozzarella is melted. Remove from oven and cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Makes: 12 individual lasagna

Per serving: 184 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 9 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 10 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 12 milligrams cholesterol, 424 milligrams sodium.

Taco Muffins

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup 1/4-inch diced sweet peppers

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon chili powder with salt

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup flour

2/3 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

2 tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/4 cup 1/4-inch diced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar

Sour cream, sliced radishes, tortilla chips, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and saute peppers until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Make taco meatballs: in a medium bowl, stir together ground beef, chili powder, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and pepper. Using a 1-teaspoon scoop or a teaspoon, form 36 small balls and place 3 balls in the cups of prepared muffin pan. Bake 5 minutes or just until set.

While meatballs are cooking, make corn muffin mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt.

In a 2-cup measuring cup, stir together buttermilk, butter and egg. Pour into flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in reserved peppers.

Remove muffin pan from oven, remove meatballs from each cup and set aside on dinner plate. Drain off all fat from muffin pan. Immediately spoon corn muffin batter into each cup, and arrange 3 taco meatballs in each cup. Bake 20 minutes or until muffins are set.

While muffins are baking, make Pico de Gallo. In a small bowl, combine diced tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, lime juice and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Season to taste. Set aside.

After 20 minutes, remove muffin pan from oven, remove foil and sprinkle Cheddar over muffins. Return to oven for 5 minutes or just until cheddar is melted. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Pico de Gallo, sour cream, sliced radishes and tortilla chips. Makes: 12 muffins

Per muffin: 305 calories (percent of calories from fat, 60), 11 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 20 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 72 milligrams cholesterol, 382 milligrams sodium.