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Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites

June 9, 2008

Meatloaf is THE all-American food. I always think of it as the dish that you either love or absolutely hate. I've also seen hundreds of recipes for it and people are extremely passionate about what they think does and doesn't belong inside. My mother must have used an entire bottle of ketchup on hers. I'll refrain from commenting.

My version of meatloaf is perfect for the whole family, but especially for your little one. The best part is they're cooked in mini muffin pans, so they only take 20 minutes to bake. I pack mine with vegetables and since there's no salt or sugary ketchup, I add some cheese which makes every bite taste heavenly. Kenya had such a grin on his face when I gave him his first one. He tried to shove the entire thing in his mouth, but luckily I cajoled him into letting me cut it up.

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Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites  (24 Mini Bites)

  • Prep Time:5 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes,
  • Total Time: 30 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup baby carrots (about 8), chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tablespoon worsteshire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon italian herbs
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs (whole wheat, preferably)
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, white or orange, shredded
  • 1 pound. ground turkey (93% lean ground meat)

Preparation

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. 2. Spray a nonstick mini muffin tin with vegetable oil cooking spray or grease with oil.
  3. 3. Place all of the ingredients, except the turkey, in a food processor and pulse until everything is combined and the vegetables are in tiny pieces.
  4. 4. Place the ground turkey and vegetable mixture in a bowl and thoroughly combine (using your hands is the easiest way to do it).
  5. 5. Place about a tablespoon of the meatloaf mixture in the muffin pans and pack down with a spoon.
  6. 6. Bake until the mini turkey loaves are cooked through or an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes.
  7. 7. Cool and serve.
  8. * This recipe can also be baked in a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and baked for 50 minutes.
  10. **To Freeze: After baking, let bites come to room temperature, place in a ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 3 months. When ready, defrost over night in the fridge and place in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes to reheat.
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Comments






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  1. Diedre

    April 13, 2013 at 5:40 pm

    Reply

    I just do not know what to do anymore. I can not get my 3 yo to eat any meat or veggie. Now he loves muffins and cheese. Made these with ketchup on the side and he would not even try it. I eat with both my boys and eat the same thing, I cook all meals (no fast food or take out). I also do everything the books say anout feeding kids but nothing seems to work. HELP, what am I doing wrong?

  2. Erin

    March 15, 2013 at 1:52 pm

    Reply

    I made these with ground beef (93% lean). My 15 month old LOVES them! Love how many veggies are inside of each. I was afraid they wouldn’t hold together because of so much veg but they cooked up perfectly!

  3. Ashton

    February 5, 2013 at 9:56 pm

    Reply

    Just made this tonight for my 16 month old daughter – it’s a keeper! She ate them right up! Of course I gave them a taste first, and I must say… I will be making this for the adults too! Super moist and full of flavor, as well as healthy on top of it all. Love it! Thanks for the recipe!

  4. Danielle

    February 2, 2013 at 11:01 am

    Reply

    These are going to be a staple in my house for dinner. Bake once and you have dinner for days. Great way to get veggies into your kids.

  5. Beck

    January 6, 2013 at 9:08 pm

    Reply

    I’ll have to try this! A word of caution if your babe is allergic to fish – often times Worcestershire sauce does contain anchovies. :-)

  6. Beck

    January 6, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    Reply

    I’ll have to try this! A word of caution – if your babe is allergic to fish, please note that Worcestershire sauce does contain anchovies (at least the Lea and Perrins brand does). :-)

  7. D's Mom

    August 8, 2012 at 7:10 pm

    Reply

    I made this last night and it is delicious! We didnt have enough zucchini so I added in more onion and carrot. I made 6 regular size “muffins” and a shallow loaf, baked for 45 mins at 375. I think the loaf could have used 5-10 more minutes. My 16 month old son loved it and I thought it was awesome too. Thanks for the recipe!

  8. Gary

    August 3, 2012 at 9:55 am

    Reply

    Absolutely delicious! Made it last night. I didn’t have zucchini, but added 1 small stalk of celery and added pinch of Indian spices I had it on hand. Also, I added 1 tbsp of ground oats.
    Big hit with my kids and DH.

  9. Elaine

    July 21, 2012 at 9:02 pm

    Reply

    What is in “Italian herbs”?

    Also, could I substitute bread crumbs for some quick oats?

    I am thinking about making this for my 1 year old. I hope she likes it!

  10. Nicole

    July 14, 2012 at 9:43 pm

    Reply

    These were terrific and my kids loved them. We used the leftovers the next night mixed with tomato sauce over whole wheat pasta!

  11. cocovolleyball

    July 10, 2012 at 11:49 pm

    Reply

    My 15-month old loved these! He never liked meat until this recipe. I used Trader Joe’s panko and soaked it in a little milk. Otherwise kept everything the same.
    I chopped extra veggies in the processor and used them on homemade pizza the next day :)
    Thanks Catherine.

  12. Leesh

    July 8, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    Reply

    I’ve been making these for my daughter since she was around 11 months old. They are a freezer staple in our house. I switch out cheeses, onion powder for fresh onion, ground chicken for turkey, yellow squash for zucchini. It all works. It’s very versitle.

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  16. Keith's Mom

    January 20, 2012 at 11:37 am

    Reply

    Made these last night, big hit with my little guy! I made gluten free by substituting G.F. crackers in place of the bread crumbs. I had to blow on three hot from the oven for him to snack on before bedtime!

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    November 20, 2011 at 8:48 am

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    How long and at what temp for regular muffin size muffin tins?

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  22. Erin Rosen

    October 13, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    Reply

    Great recipe! My kids love these mini meatloaves! But my 6yo insists on dipping his in Krazy Ketchup!

  23. Callista

    October 13, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    Reply

    Just wondering why you couldn’t throw the turkey in with the veggies in the food processor.

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  25. Cassie

    July 14, 2011 at 4:26 pm

    Reply

    I made this recipe the other night and my daughter LOVED it! Instead of turkey though I used chicken and grated the veggies instead of chopping so I wouldn’t have to use the food processor and it worked great! So excited to make it again :)

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