Family Dinner: Homestyle Meatloaf (And it's healthy!)

Well, we have just over two weeks left living in the shoebox condo. We've been busy negotiating with realtors and such over the past few weeks. It's been very hectic! I've managed to crank out some delicious dinners and even snapped some photos of the food as well. Loading them into my blog sort of took a backseat, however. Sorry about that, food friends.

The word "meatloaf" always reminds me of my dad. He loves meatloaf. I've never had any strong feelings either way about the dish. Red meat is something I try to steer clear of, and if I do eat it I am usually making a burger or I'm out to eat at a steak house. Traditional meat loaf is one comfort food I have never really been into- until recently.

I created a meatloaf recipe that uses ground chicken breast. Now, I know that ground chicken breast is typically very dry and you are probably skeptical about using it as the main ingredient in a meatloaf recipe. I promise you that this dish is not dry at all thanks to the red bell peppers and sweet onions in the dish which add plenty of mouth watering moisture. In addition, the oatmeal and bread crumbs balance each other out while providing substance. This dish, when compared to a traditional meatloaf, is much lower in fat and has good fiber content thanks to the vegetables and oats. The not so healthy part is the glaze which is tangy sweet and oh so good. I think the glaze is fine to add. It really makes the dish and it still is a delicious and nutritious main course. Meatloaf really reheats well, too. You can probably get a few meals out of this recipe. Who doesn't love leftovers?

Homestyle Meat Loaf
1 lb. ground chicken breast
1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced or chopped in food processor
1/2 large onion, finely diced or chopped in food processor
1/4 c. ketchup
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Glaze

1/4 c. ketchup

1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. yellow mustard

Pre-heat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.


Combine ingredients in a large bowl; using hands to incorporate the ingredients. Shape into a loaf and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.


Meanwhile, mix glaze ingredients together. Once meat loaf has baked for 40 minutes, take the loaf out of the oven and pour the glaze evenly over the loaf. Return the loaf to the oven to bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serves four.