Chicken Meatloaf

Meatloaf is usually baked in a loaf pan. That’s how the dish probably got its name. But I wanted something different so I baked my chicken meatloaf in empty tin cans.

Empty tin cans? Take a tall tin can of, say, evaporated milk or tomato sauce. Cut out the top and bottom and you have a tube, right? That’s what you can use. But. BUT. Don’t use an old tin can which may have the first signs of rust. The cans I used were opened just a few minutes before I stuffed the meatloaf mixture inside them. Just plan everything ahead of time so that when you cook a dish that requires you to use anything in a can, you can make your meatloaf at the same time. At any rate, meatloaf keeps well in the freezer.

So, did I really say chicken meatloaf? Chicken? Yes, chicken. You can buy ground chicken meat in the supermarket, didn’t you know? There’s ground chicken breast meat and ground chicken thigh meat. I prefer ground thighs because the fat keeps the chicken meatloaf moist. 

Chicken Meatloaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 2 chicken meatloaves

Author: Connie Veneracion

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 200 to 300 grams ground chicken
• ▢ 2 slices day old bread
• ▢ 3 tablespoons milk
• ▢ 1 small carrot - peeled and chopped
• ▢ 2 small - (or 1 big) green bell pepper, cored, seeds removed and chopped
• ▢ 1 small onion - peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish - drained well
• ▢ 4 eggs - beaten
• ▢ salt
• ▢ pepper

Instructions

• Tear the bread into small pieces, place in a bowl and pour in the milk. Mix and soak for about 10 minutes. Squeeze out the excess milk.
• Mix the bread with the rest of the ingredients. Season with about a teaspoonful and a half of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper.
• (You may optionally spray or brush the inside of the tin cans with a little oil. The oil will make it easier to remove the chicken meatloaf after it has cooled.)
• Stand the prepared tin cans on a baking tray. Stuff them with the meatloaf mixture, pressing down with a spoon to make sure the mixture is compact. Cover the top of the cans with pieces of aluminum foil. Bake in a 180C oven for 30 minutes. Cool before removing from the cans.
• To remove, run a long thin knife around the cans and lightly push one end of the meatloaf with the back of a spoon.
• You can steam your meatloaf instead of baking them but you may need to cover BOTH ends of the cans with aluminum foil.

If you cooked this dish (or made this drink) and you want to share your masterpiece, please use your own photos and write the cooking steps in your own words.