#320: Chicken Meat Loaf Muffins, By: V

This little guy looks tame enough, right?  Well, lets just say this isn't your mom's typical meatloaf.  Made with ground chicken these muffin-tin mini loaves are so easy to toss into a salad or alongside a delicious pilaf.  Plus the harissa, garam masala and vegetable mixture gives the loaves spicy heat and layers of flavor.  

Quick tip:  When you put them in the wells, use your thumb to make a thumprint into the top of each loaf, it will allow for the loaves to cook through well.

You can get Mina Harissa at your local Whole Foods, but now you can pretty much find harissa (a Morrocan red pepper sauce) everywhere, and it's amazing! It's even good on top of triscuits (my recent snack of choice).

Chicken Meat Loaf Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 3/4 cup finely diced onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garam masala

For the Tomato Mixture:

• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp worchestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp harissa

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400  degrees Fahrenheit
2. Grease the wells of your muffin tin with 1 tbsp olive oil or Pan spray
3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet
4. Add 3/4 cup finely diced onion (feel free to add any other veggies you would like - bell peppers or mushrooms are great options)
5. Let veggies cook for two minutes and then allow to cool down
6. In a small bowl combine: 1/3 cup tomato paste, 2 cloves garlic (minced/chopped), 1 tbsp mustard, 1 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp worchestershire sauce, and 1 tbsp harissa 
7. In large bowl mix meat, veggie mixture, 1 large egg, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, and 1 tbsp garam masala.
8. Stir in half of the tomato mixture
9. Combine and form into rounded large meatballs to fit into the muffin tin - or just spoon them in, until they are slightly above pan edge
10. Bake for 10 minutes
11. During this time bring the remaining tomato mixture to low heat on the stove and reduce down until it coats the back of a spoon.
12. After the meat loaf muffins have baked for 10 minutes, take them out of the oven and top each with the remaining tomato mixture. Bake for another 15 minutes and serve.