Parmesan Chicken Meatloaf

March 25, 2012 / No Comments

On Pinterest, I stumbled upon a Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf, an original Joelen’s recipe, from her blog What’s Cookin’ Chicago. I was intrigued as despite several attempts at making meatloaf, both beef and turkey, my family has yet to like one. I followed the original recipe and it was very good and a definite hit.

A few minor recipe tweaks takes it one step further to have a healthier profile. I also increased the meat to better serve our family of 5. If you have less than 5, the leftovers are also wonderful!

I use a prepared pasta sauce (Cabernet Marinara) to make it even easier and I often prepare the loaf in the morning (minus baking). This helps make it a very easy dinner recipe.

Why Healthy

Using ground chicken for meatloaf shaves some calories off and reduces the fat in half (depending on the cut of beef).
Using whole wheat bread crumbs adds some fiber.

Parmesan Chicken Meatloaf

A healthy "rebuild" for a tradtional family favorite.

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients:

2 Pounds Ground Chicken
1 Egg
2 Egg Whites
1 Cup Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Minced
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Cup Pasta Sauce (Homemade or Store Bought)
1 Cup Reduced Fat Italian Cheese Blend

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a large loaf pan with cooking spray, then set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the meat, egg and egg whites, breadcrumbs, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese with your hands.
Place the mixture into the prepared pan.
Spread the pasta sauce over the loaf.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Add the cheese on the top of the loaf and bake for another 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese.
Remove from oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes before slicing.