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Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf Bites

February 20, 2013

I remember the first time we gave Kenya a big slab of meatloaf and he just stared at it totally daunted. Can you imagine what it must be like for a kid to see an enormous portion of food on their plate? It helped me to realize that size really does matter, especially when it comes to kids willing and wanting to try certain foods.

You can absolutely make this zesty meatloaf in an 8 x 4 inch pan, but baked into individual bites, just two or three are a perfectly portioned meal for a toddler or kid. These mini meatloaf bites with just a dot of ketchup on top will satisfy everyone!

This post is part of Food Network's Comfort Food Feast. Check out all the post from these talented bloggers:

Jeanette's Healthy LivingBalsamic-Glazed Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf
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Made By MichelleTurkey Meatloaf
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Virtually HomemadeBacon Wrapped Meatloaf With a Spicy Sweet Ketchup Glaze (Gluten-Free)
DevourPick Your Meat (Loaf): Beef, Pork or Turkey
Dishin & DishesThe Ultimate Southwest Meatloaf

FN DishFor the Love of Meatloaf

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf Bites  (makes 30 bites)

  • Prep Time:10 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes,
  • Total Time: 30 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. 2. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients to thoroughly combine.
  3. 3. Pack greased mini muffin cups with the mixture. Fill to the top as they will shrink a bit during cooking.
  4. 4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
  5. Note: For a full size meatloaf, press mixture into a 9x5 loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes.

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Comments






  1. Amber

    March 1, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    These were a huge hit at my house!! Thanks for all your great recipes!!

  2. vannietakase

    February 26, 2013 at 11:09 pm

    how can you tell when they are completely done?

    • catherine

      February 27, 2013 at 12:58 pm

      Ground chicken should be cooked to 165 degrees fahrenheit! You can also tell if you open one up and it doesn’t “bleed” or the juices run clear.

  3. jeankao

    February 26, 2013 at 6:36 pm

    do you think i could add finely chopped zucchini to this? would it need more or less of any other ingredient since im adding another solid into the mix?

    • catherine

      February 26, 2013 at 6:41 pm

      You could probably add half a cup with no problem or other adjustments needed! I would squeeze out some of the liquid first, though!

  4. Lesley

    February 26, 2013 at 7:40 am

    I made this last night and 4 kids ate it with no complaints or fussing at all. My husband and I even ate some! What a great recipe. Thanks so much!!!

  5. Melissa

    February 26, 2013 at 12:53 am

    Do you mix the marinara sauce in with all of the other ingredients?

    • catherine

      February 26, 2013 at 1:05 pm

      Yes! You mix together all the ingredients!

  6. Melissa

    February 25, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    Would you be able to make this same recipe in a regular sized loaf pan? If so, do you need to change anything? How long would it need to cook?

    • catherine

      February 26, 2013 at 1:08 pm

      Yes, you can do this in a regular sized loaf pan! Keep the recipe the same, just increase the cooking time to about 50 minutes!

      • Melissa

        February 26, 2013 at 1:59 pm

        Thank you! I can’t wait to try this recipe.

  7. Queenie

    February 24, 2013 at 8:17 pm

    This meatloaf was fantastic, and my very picky 3 year old ate it!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. By the way, I used oatmeal in lieu of breadcrumbs, and it was perfect–my husband was surprised when I told him, because it isn’t noticeable at all.

  8. Diana @ Eating Made Easy

    February 21, 2013 at 8:13 pm

    Great idea with the muffin cups! I’m making mimi breakfast omelets with them this week. Now I want to try this too.

  9. Erin

    February 20, 2013 at 7:49 pm

    I made these tonight and they were a huge hit! Me, my Mom, sister, husband, 5 year old, 3 year old twins and 14 month old nephew all loved them. Silly me, I should have doubled the recipe as every last one was eaten :) . I used oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs as that’s what I do with my usual meatloaf and it worked well.

  10. Janel Nielsen

    February 20, 2013 at 6:16 pm

    Great site and love it!! I basically do this same recipe but add in one finely shredded carrot and form around Popsicle sticks and freeze on baking paper til solid and then bag and pull out however many I need and fry in a scant bit of oil (straight from frozen) at dinner time… The kids love eating “chicken on a stick” !!

  11. Debbie

    February 20, 2013 at 3:17 pm

    If I use the larger sized muffin pans, how long should I cook them? Thx!

    • catherine

      February 20, 2013 at 4:52 pm

      25-30 minutes!

  12. Carly

    February 20, 2013 at 2:32 pm

    I was thinking of using shredded chicken. Do you think that would be okay? It will definitely be a different consistency.

    • catherine

      February 20, 2013 at 3:14 pm

      If you’re using raw chicken that should be fine. I wouldn’t use pre-cooked chicken because it will dry out!

  13. april

    February 20, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    I never think of using ground chicken but I love this idea. Thank you!

  14. Meleah

    February 20, 2013 at 1:03 pm

    What a great idea!

  15. Peggy

    February 20, 2013 at 11:52 am

    Would ground turkey work? How about tomato paste instead of marinara? Trying to work with what I already have on hand.

    • catherine

      February 20, 2013 at 1:18 pm

      Yes, ground turkey would work just fine! Tomato paste will probably be okay, but it quite thicker than marinara. So maybe add some water to thin it out a little.

    • Ruth

      February 20, 2013 at 1:01 pm

      Funny – those are the same substitutions I’m planning to make with this recipe tonight! The tomato paste will probably need to be thinned and seasoned to be like marinara.

  16. Meredith

    February 20, 2013 at 11:44 am

    Do you think these would hold up without the breadcrumbs? Thank you in advance! LOVVVVVVE your site.

    • catherine

      February 20, 2013 at 1:19 pm

      They will be more fragile without the breadcrumbs, but you can certainly leave them out! They might crumble apart a little.

  17. Karen

    February 20, 2013 at 11:25 am

    Can I use ground beef?

    • catherine

      February 20, 2013 at 1:19 pm

      I haven’t tried ground beef, but yes I think that would work!

  18. Nicole

    February 20, 2013 at 11:02 am

    These look delicious! Will they freeze well? Can they be frozen already cooked?

    • catherine

      February 20, 2013 at 1:19 pm

      They freeze beautifully! You can freeze before or after baking!

      • Kate

        February 25, 2013 at 1:15 pm

        When freezing, what do you suggest for re-heating?

        • catherine

          February 25, 2013 at 1:54 pm

          Freeze after baking, thaw in the fridge then reheat in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes or in the microwave!