As a young girl, and the daughter of immigrant parents, I didn’t grow up with the “traditional” Canadian comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, or – everyone’s favourite – meatloaf. Instead, I stared at my plate of curried chicken and rice with dismay, dreaming about the wonderful taste sensations that were advertised as electric orange pasta in a box.
Years later, as an adult, I learned how to buy chicken noodle soup in a can and make the said electric orange pasta. And then, I craved my mom’s spicy, homemade curried chicken with unmatched longing and nostalgia. Who knew – I grew up with comfort foods after all.
However, there’s one comfort food I missed out on – warm, dense, perfectly moist meatloaf. How I love meatloaf! One of the easiest made-from-scratch meals you can serve your family, it’s my favourite go-to dish when I want minimal fuss and maximum comfort factor. And for a meal my whole family gobbles up (especially the boys!) I always make my Italian Chicken Meatloaf, featuring Maple Leaf Prime Naturally Extra Lean Ground Chicken.
This recipe yields a moist, delicious meatloaf without all the fat and calories of a traditional ground beef loaf. I like to serve it with additional warmed tomato sauce, however, it’s great on its own or thinly sliced for sandwiches too. Best of all, it freezes beautifully.
INGREDIENTS
2 lb Maple Leaf Prime Naturally Extra Lean Ground Chicken
2 eggs
1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp each salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of your favorite tomato or pasta sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
parsley, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a loaf pan with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Place the combined mixture into your prepared loaf pan. Evenly spread pasta sauce on top of the loaf and bake in pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.
Remove meatloaf from oven and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serves 6-8.
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