Chicken Meatloaf
Around here we love the diversity, simplicity and great flavor of meatloaf. This comfort food is not the most glamourous, but most folks embrace the joy of coming home to one after a long day at work. It is equally wonderful to open your homemade lunch box to find this kind of nourishing meal at your fingertips.
For little kids, trim a slice into small cubes. Babies can eat this protein packed meal with their fingers and bigger kids can improve their fork handling skills.
Try you meatloaf with a side of extra sauce. Also top with some delicious micro greens. Like this….
Don’t forget those vegetables to make this a well rounded meal. You can go with steamed veggies and some rice. We love these Balsamic Grilled Veggies with the loaf too!
My Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Quinoa would be the perfect pairing too!
You could also make a delicious salad. How about this fresh take: Salad with Goat Cheese Pecan Balls and Raspberry Vinaigrette
The other nice thing about my healthy meatloaf recipe is it is entirely gluten free. Instead of traditional bread crumbs I use Attune Food’s Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal as the binder. You will never know the difference!
This is comfort food as good as it gets…dig in!
Chicken Meatloaf
RECIPE:
YIELD: makes about 8 servings of meatloaf
¾ cup Erewhon Gluten Free Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
a few pinches coarse ground Black Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Herbs, such as Thyme or Oregano
2 pounds ground Chicken (I like to mix dark and light meat)
1 large Egg, whisked
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce or Tamari (use this for gluten free diets)
½ cup diced canned Tomatoes
OPTIONAL:
Hot Sauce
TOPPING:
Marinara Sauce
Serve over:
Quinoa, Pasta, Rice or Veggies
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with the rack in the middle. Pulse the brown rice cereal in a food processor or crush in a bag until you have a fine crumb.
Combine the chicken with the cereal crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper and herbs. Make a well in the center and slowly add in the egg, tamari sauce and tomatoes. Mix with hands until well combined. Make a mound in the center of a casserole dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and top the meatloaf with some marinara sauce. Bake uncovered for about another 10 minutes until meat is cooked through.
Recipe and photography copyright 2012 Marla Meridith.
Be well!
Marla
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May 15, 2012 @ 12:28:00
Wow Marla, that is the most gourmet looking meatloaf I have ever seen, but with such simple ingredients. Love the use of the cereal in this.
May 16, 2012 @ 05:34:00
Thanks Alisa!! Soooo tasty too
May 16, 2012 @ 06:08:00
True. Meatloaf may not be that glamorous and I agree, it’s so comforting to come home to a meatloaf dinner after a long and exhaustive day. I love the sides you’ve paired with it too!
May 16, 2012 @ 19:07:00
Thanks Allison! My goal is to make meatloaf a bit more glamourous
May 16, 2012 @ 08:53:00
Looks Delicious Marla! And really pretty pictures!
May 16, 2012 @ 19:08:00
Thanks Heather ~ was a fun subject.
May 16, 2012 @ 09:32:00
What a neat alternative to bread crumbs! I usually substitute quinoa for bread crumbs in my meatloaf but next time I make it I’ll have to try your method. I noticed that you said you use a mix of light and dark meat. Do you grind the chicken yourself?
May 16, 2012 @ 19:09:00
Amy, I do not grind the meat myself. I just by half dark, half light meat and mix it all together with my hands. I also love using quinoa in meatloaf and meatballs!
May 16, 2012 @ 15:17:00
I was just talking about making a gluten free meat loaf this week. Seriously. I didn’t know what to use in addition to the meat. I hadn’t even considered rice cereal. This is what I will be making for sure. Your timing is impeccable. The micro greens look amazing too. Beautiful photography! Thank you.
xxoo,
Andrea
May 16, 2012 @ 19:10:00
Hi Andrea, so happy I could help you find a gluten free solution. I hope you and the family get to try this soon!
May 18, 2012 @ 08:20:00
Looks amazing! The boys are torn over to luv or not luv meatloaf so i can’t wait to try this with them ;D
May 18, 2012 @ 19:54:00
Red, we gotta get them to love it. Hopefully this one will!
May 19, 2012 @ 04:10:00
What a great way to lighten up meatloaf. Your pics are great.
May 20, 2012 @ 17:24:00
A great way to serve chicken in a healthy, fun way. Love the pairing ideas too!
Aug 30, 2012 @ 13:59:00
I am making this right now! I omitted the seasoning powders and replaced with minced onion and garlic. I will also be sauteing red onion to add to the marinara topping. I love the rice cereal addition as it’s better for my husband’s diabetes. Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Aug 30, 2012 @ 18:32:00
Turned out great! I will be using this recipe time after time. Cannot wait for leftovers!