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These mini chicken loaves pack a garlic parmesan punch, turning basic ground chicken into tasty individual portions bursting with Italian flavors and topped with a velvety sauce. They're perfectly sized for easy portion control while delivering tons of taste with every forkful.
I whipped up this dish when we got bored with regular beef meatloaf. The first night I put these chicken mini-loaves on the table, they vanished faster than any meal I'd cooked in ages. These days my family asks for them at least twice every month.
Ingredients
- Ground chicken: Makes a more delicate base than beef but still offers great texture and lots of protein
- Yellow onion: Gives natural sweetness and keeps the chicken moist and juicy
- Fresh garlic cloves: Form the heart of the flavor that runs through the whole dish
- Bread crumbs: Work as a binder while adding nice texture
- Fresh parmesan cheese: Adds salty nuttiness that makes both the loaves and sauce extra special
- Heavy cream: Turns into a rich sauce that makes this taste like restaurant food
- Fresh parsley: Adds pretty green color and a light herby touch
How To Make Them
- Mix Your Ingredients:
- Throw ground chicken, chopped onion, crushed garlic, bread crumbs, egg, parsley, and fresh grated parmesan into a big bowl. Stir it all up until everything's mixed well. This good mixing makes sure every bite tastes the same and helps your mini loaves stay together when they cook.
- Shape Your Mini Loaves:
- Grab an ice cream scoop to dish out equal amounts, then shape each scoop and push them into a greased muffin tin. Making them all the same size means they'll cook evenly, and using a muffin tin creates perfect single servings that cook way quicker than one big loaf. Sprinkle extra parmesan on top if you want a golden crust.
- Cook Until Done:
- Pop them in the oven at 375°F for about 22-25 minutes until they hit 165°F inside and the juices look clear. The hot oven gives them a nice brown outside while keeping them juicy inside. Let them sit for 5 minutes after baking so they stay moist.
- Whip Up The Sauce:
- Cook fresh garlic in olive oil until it smells good, then mix in flour to thicken it. Pour in heavy cream bit by bit while stirring non-stop to avoid lumps. Adding cream slowly makes the sauce super smooth. Once it's hot, mix in parmesan cheese until it melts completely, then finish with fresh parsley.
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The thing I love most about this dish is all the fresh garlic. I found out that pressing garlic instead of chopping it lets out more flavor oils, making everything taste amazing. My husband usually grabs hot sauce for everything he eats, but he devours these mini loaves just as they come out of the oven every single time.
For Gluten Free Diets
You can easily make this work for folks who can't eat gluten. Just swap regular bread crumbs for gluten free ones or crush two pieces of gluten free bread in a food processor. For the sauce, use gluten free flour mix instead of regular flour. Nobody will spot the difference between this version and the original, so it works perfectly in homes where some people eat gluten and others don't.
Cooking Ahead and Keeping Leftovers
These mini loaves stay tasty in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep them in sealed containers apart from the sauce. When you want to eat them again, wrap in foil and warm them at 325°F for about 15 minutes, or zap single portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. You can warm the sauce in a small pot over low heat, adding a splash of cream if it looks too thick.
What To Serve With Them
These mini loaves go great with roasted veggies like asparagus or Brussels sprouts. For a full meal, add garlic mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles that can soak up the yummy cream sauce. A basic green salad with light dressing cuts through the richness of the loaves and sauce. If you want to fancy it up, scatter some fresh parsley and extra parmesan on top just before you bring it to the table.
Try Different Flavors
The basic garlic parmesan combo tastes great, but you can switch things up easily. Try adding sun dried tomatoes and basil for an Italian feel, or mix in spinach and feta for a taste of the Mediterranean. You can even make them spicy with chopped jalapeños and pepper jack cheese instead of parmesan. No matter which flavors you pick, you'll cook them the same way.
Common Queries
- → Can I swap ground turkey for the chicken?
You bet! Ground turkey works fine instead of chicken. It'll taste a bit different but still turn out yummy.
- → How can I make sure it's gluten-free?
Just use gluten-free breadcrumbs or crumbled gluten-free bread in your mixture. For the sauce, swap regular flour with a gluten-free option or just leave it out completely.
- → What's the best way to keep leftovers?
Pop any extra loaves in a sealed container and stick them in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's better to keep the sauce in a separate container and warm everything up before you eat it again.
- → Can I freeze these for later?
Sure thing. Once they've cooled down, put the loaves in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in your fridge overnight, then warm them up in your oven or microwave. The sauce tastes best when you make it fresh.
- → What goes well on the side?
These chicken loaves taste great with roasted veggies, fluffy mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, or a fresh green salad to round out your meal.