The “Baking Tool” Hack That Gets Kids to Actually Eat Every Meal

When I was a kid, my mom constantly used her muffin pan. Around when my kids were 10 years old, though, I realized that my own muffin tins were sitting idle, taking up space, and not living up to my mom’s 1970s and ’80s precedent. I considered how many times I’d actually used my muffin pan. For birthdays and class parties? That was basically it, right? 

And then it hit me: My mom had made almost anything in her well-worn muffin tins. Birthday cupcakes, of course, but also muffin-tin quiches, cornbread muffins, sourdough rolls, Bisquick and cheeseburger muffins, and French breakfast puffs. Many of my own favorite foods today when I eat out are in muffin form, too — egg bites from Starbucks, pizza muffins from Little Caesars. The issue wasn’t that I didn’t make cupcakes enough; it was that I needed to find new and savory ways to use my muffin pan. 

And that is how I discovered the “muffin pan” hack: Kids will enjoy a food — any food — approximately 500 times more in muffin form. 

Want to try out the “muffin pan” hack yourself? Here are the best ways to muffin-ize your meals.

I started my own muffin journey with a simple and easily adapted boxed option that didn’t stray too far from sweet muffins: Jiffy cornbread muffins. 

After cornbread, I turned to a kid classic: pizza. Think: recipes like pizza bombs, muffin pan deep-dish pizza, and pizza cupcakes. Instead of pizza delivery, pizza muffins are easy to make, serve, and even store in the freezer for lunches and snacks. 

Lasagna is one of our family favorites. However, a full platter of pasta isn’t always the best option when everyone is on-the-go; individual muffin tin lasagnas make more sense. And then there’s another obvious pasta option: mac and cheese cups.  

My daughter likes to sample my Starbucks egg bites, so I found a copycat recipe I could make at home for both of us to enjoy on busy mornings. These high-protein broccoli cheddar egg muffins are another great way to start the day. Also consider mini quiche muffin cups like my mom made in the 1980s.

I grew up in the Midwest, with meat and potatoes on the dinner table multiple times a week. You may be just as pleased as I was to find out you can make a full, protein-rich meal out of meatloaf and potato muffins, or shepherd’s pie muffins.

The more I’ve cooked with my muffin tin, the more I’ve realized that cupcakes shouldn’t have all the fun with frosting and toppings. A layer of mashed potatoes can serve as “frosting,” and savory muffins can have “sprinkles” too: sunflower seeds, bacon bits, breadcrumbs, shredded cheese, salsa, crumbled fried onions, and carrot shreds. 

Ever since I discovered the “muffin pan” hack, my muffin tins have gotten plenty of use (with baked-on cheese remnants as evidence). And they’ve been promoted to the front of the cabinet — where they belong.