Cheeseburger Mini-pies (with gluten-free alternative)

Betty Crocker is truly diabolical.  They sent me (at my request) a free wall calendar with recipes featuring some of their products.  Of course, I ordered it before I discovered I couldn't tolerate gluten anymore.  So now I may be tortured all year by images of foods I can't eat, like this month's Impossibly Easy Mini Cheeseburger Pies.

Or, being me, I could accept it as a challenge to see how many of them I can make into a gluten-free alternative.

This month's alterations were easy.  I just used gluten-free Bisquick instead of the original called for in the recipe.  I also cut the sodium by using garlic powder instead of garlic salt, but that was just because of personal preference and health, not because of the gluten-free-edness.  If you aren't on a gluten-free diet, just use the original Bisquick or a homemade equivalent blend.

One of the great things about these that I noticed right away is that they could be used as a meal, or as party food, since they can be eaten with a fork or as finger food.  And I hear that there is a big football game next weekend, so this might be just what you were looking for for your Super Bowl party.

I just wish I discovered this recipe before I was finished writing More Than Meatloaf, or I would have had 57 recipes to make the most of your ground meat!

Cheeseburger Mini-pies

1 pound lean ground meat (I used venison, as usual)

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (if you are gluten-free, make sure your Worcestershire sauce doesn't contain soy sauce or malt vinegar.  Meijer brand does not, but I don't know about other brands)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Bisquick, original or gluten-free

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 12 muffin cups in a muffin tin.  

Brown meat and onion in a large skillet. Drain excess fat.  Let cool 5 minutes.  Add garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and cheese.  

Whisk together Bisquick, milk, and eggs in a small mixing bowl.  Spoon 1 tbsp into the bottom of each muffin cup.  Add 1/4 cup meat mixture and top with 1 tbsp Bisquick batter.  Bake 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes.  Use a knife to remove mini-pies from the muffin tin.  Set on a cooling rack, top sides up, and let cool an additional 10 minutes before serving.  Serve with ketchup, mustard, and pickles as garnish if desired.