One pan mini meatloaves with roasted vegetables

Comfort food at its finest!

As a huge fan of comfort food, I think it’s a bit odd that I’ve never liked meatloaf, until now. In the past I found the meatloaves I have tasted to be a bit lacking in flavour as well as being either dry, tough, or both, which deterred me from wanting to make this popular dish. Well, I’m happy to report that this new recipe addresses all my previous concerns, and I am now a definite convert. I chose to use lean (not extra-lean) ground chicken and that was a huge win. So, too, was mixing up all the add-ins before adding the meat; this made it much easier to combine everything without overmixing. Feel free to switch up the vegetables if you wish – sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini or halved small tomatoes would be great. You could also make this meal with ground beef if you prefer and feel free to swap in your favourite barbeque sauce as a glaze.

Ingredients 

Meatloaves:

• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (100 g) panko or other dried breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) milk
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) ketchup
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) hoisin sauce (or more ketchup, if you prefer)
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 lb (454 g) lean ground chicken or turkey
• Chopped fresh parsley, to serve (optional)

Vegetables:

• 3 1/2 cups (1 lb / 454 g) baby potatoes, cut in 3/4-inch (2 cm) pieces
• 1 medium onion, in 3/4-inch (2 cm) pieces
• 4 teaspoons (20 mL) olive oil, divided
• 3 cups (270 g) small broccoli florets

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) ketchup
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) cider or rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons (35 g) brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon each powdered mustard, salt and pepper

Method

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg. Add the panko and milk; stir to combine then add the other meatloaf seasonings and stir to blend well. Add the ground chicken and combine everything with a large spoon or your very clean hands. Ensure you mix enough that the seasonings are evenly distributed but do not overmix. With your hands, form into four baseball-shaped portions, gently pressing together without packing too tightly.
• Place meatloaves, one inch (2.5 cm) apart, in the centre of a parchment-lined roasting pan or rimmed sheet pan. At this point, the meatloaves can be covered and refrigerated for up to 8 hours.
• When ready to bake, put chopped potatoes and onions in a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons (10 mL) of the olive oil plus a few pinches each of salt and pepper.
• In another bowl, stir together the ingredients for the glaze. Remove one third of the glaze and place in a small serving bowl to pass at the table.
• Brush the meatloaves with half of the remaining glaze in the mixing bowl. Spread the potatoes and onions around and between the meatloaves. Place pan in preheated oven and don’t clean out the bowl the vegetables were in.
• While meatloaves and potatoes cook, toss broccoli florets in the same bowl as the potatoes, along with the remaining 2 teaspoons (10 mL) olive oil. Set aside.
• Bake meatloaves and potatoes/onions for about 25 minutes. When potatoes are beginning to feel tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, remove pan from oven and spread remaining glaze from the mixing bowl over the meatloaves. Add broccoli to pan on top of the potatoes and onions.
• Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the broccoli is tender and the meatloaves’ internal temperature is 170F-175F on an instant-read thermometer. Turn the broiler on and let the glaze caramelize under the heat for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully so it does not burn.
• Remove pan from oven. Let rest 5 minutes then divide meat and vegetables among four plates or broad bowls. You can leave the meatloaves intact or slice in half if you prefer. Garnish with fresh parsley, if using, and serve hot, passing reserved glaze at the table.

Makes 4 servings.