Muffin Tin Meatloaf: the Italian way
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A good meatloaf recipe is always a guaranteed win for dinnertime in our house. Everyone gets excited when they know it's on the menu and it's pretty easy to put together! And since everyone went nuts over my other muffin pan meatloaf recipes, I thought it might be fun to put an Italian-twist on this variation!
It seemed like a good thing to do, because we all love Chicken Parmesan. So why not add the saucy, cheesy goodness of a traditional chicken parmesan recipe without all the hassle of breading and frying? This comes together amazingly fast and every time I make it, my family goes nuts over it!
Tips for how to make meatloaf parmesan in a muffin pan
- I encourage you to use a non-stick muffin pan and coat each cup with cooking spray to avoid sticking.
- Try not to overwork the meat mixture, as it will get tough.
- I don’t add the cheese until the last 10 minutes of cook time to avoid it being overcooked.
- Cool the meat loaf muffins for 5 minutes and use a butter knife to cut around the edge of the muffin tins where the meat meets the sides of the muffin tin and around the bottom and carefully remove each one.
Can I use ground turkey?
Yes! I chose ground chicken for this, since we're mimicking chicken parm. But you can always use ground turkey or lean ground beef if you prefer.
Do I have to use cheese?
No- you can substitute nutritional yeast for the Romano or Parmesan cheese and vegan shredded cheese in place of the mozzarella if you want to avoid cheese.
How long to bake meatloaf muffins?
These bake for around 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
What sides go with muffin tin meatloaf?
I like to serve these with spaghetti and my easy marinara sauce (which is also the sauce that I use to top these meatloaf muffins).
Can I freeze meatloaf muffins?
Yes, place them on a parchment lined pan so they aren't touching and freeze. Once frozen place in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost when ready to reheat.
Ingredients for making Chicken Parm Meatloaf
- Cooking spray
- Ground chicken
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Romano or Parmesan cheese
- Seasoned bread crumbs
- Water (optional- only if the meat mixture feels too dry)
- Marinara sauce
- Mozzarella cheese
Ingredients to prep ahead:
- Make marinara sauce
- Shred cheese
Helpful tools:
Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf Muffins
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup Romano or Parmesan cheese + 1 Tablespoon for sprinkling
- ⅓ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1-2 Tablespoons water (optional- only if the meat mixture feels too dry)
- ¾ cup Marinara sauce + more if serving pasta on side (this divides into 1 Tablespoon per muffin when topping)
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (this divides into 1 Tablespoon per muffin when topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a standard size non-stick muffin pan (not mini!) and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix ground chicken, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Romano cheese (except 1 Tablespoon) and bread crumbs. Mix until just combined. If it feels too dry, add 1-2 Tablespoons of water.
- Divide evenly among all 12 muffin cups and gentle press in to smooth the tops.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove pan from the oven and place 1 Tablespoon sauce on top of each muffin.
- Sprinkle each muffin with 1 Tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese and return to the oven.
- Bake for 10 more minutes to melt the cheese.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon Romano cheese. Rest for 5 minutes and serve.
Nutrition
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