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Meatloaf is THE ultimate all American food. My Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites are perfect for the whole family because it’s fast, easy and packed with vegetables!
I pulled up a favorite recipe of mine to see if these Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites are as good today as they were several years ago. I hadn’t made them for about a year, so last week I whipped up a batch hoping to freeze a few. Nice try! Chloe and her two friends, ate an entire batch in less than 15 minutes. It was fun watching them down the full recipe even though it left hubby and I eating leftovers. Next time I’m doubling to make sure I have plenty to go around!
My Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites are perfect for the whole family, but especially for your little one. The best part is they’re cooked in mini muffin pans, so they only take 20 minutes to bake. I pack mine with vegetables, and since there’s very little salt and no sugary ketchup, I add some cheese which makes every bite taste heavenly. Kenya had such a grin on his face when I gave him his first Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bite when he was a little one (and before he was vegetarian). He tried to shove the entire thing in his mouth at once. Luckily I cajoled him into letting me cut it up!
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I always think of meatloaf as the dish that you either love or absolutely hate. I’ve also seen hundreds of recipes for it, and people are extremely passionate about what they think does and doesn’t belong inside. My mother must have used an entire bottle of ketchup on hers. I’ll refrain from commenting on that 😉 Whatever line of the meatloaf debate you fall on, I think you’ll love this recipe!
Are you making Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites tonight?! Tag me @weelicious on social media so I can see!
Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup baby carrots (about 8), chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon worsteshire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (whole wheat preferably)
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray a nonstick mini muffin tin with vegetable oil cooking spray or grease with oil.
- Place the zucchini, onions, bell peppers, carrots, and garlic clove into the food processor and pulse until everything is in tiny pieces.
- Add the egg, worchestershire sauce, herbs, bread crumbs, cheese, and turkey. Pulse until everything is combined.
- Place about a tablespoon of the meatloaf mixture in the muffin pans and pack down with a spoon.
- Bake until the mini turkey loaves are cooked through or an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes.
Video
Notes
- * This recipe can also be baked in a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and baked for 50 minutes.
- To Freeze: After baking, let bites come to room temperature, place in a ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 3 months. When ready, defrost over night in the fridge and place in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes to reheat.
Great recipe! I doubled the recipe and made one loaf and one min muffin recipe. I added some crushed tomatoes on top too. What a great recipe!!! Thank you!!!
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I just use a regular medium size 🙂
how big of a zuccini? or how many cups chopped? they go from the size of a banana to the size of a station wagon here. 🙂
This recipe was just awesome. So mush flavor and still on the healthy side. I’m making it again for dinner tonight! =)
You can do the 1 tbsp of ground flax seed with 3 tbsp of water solution – I have not tested it so let me know how it goes!
I was curious if you could eliminate the egg, as well? Is there a substitution you would recommend?
DELISH!!!!
hmm maybe, If they were a bit soggy, it could have been from your veggies. After chopping them, if you found that there was liquid, just pat it out with a towel to remove some of the liquid. Also, I used lean turkey – was your turkey lean? The fat from the turkey may have also caused it to become soggy. Let me know if this helps, but I am happy you enjoyed them 🙂
I tried this today for my 11 mo old and he was not too big of a fan. I don’t like meatloaf at all, and I did not think it was too bad, needed salt for me but I am an adult. My question is I had to do the veggies seperate since my food processor bit the dust last night…..could that be part of the reason they tasted kinda soggy….I had to use my magic bullet and food chopper to improvise…any thoughts?
what about temp and time on a small loaf tin?
Hi Catherine, love your recipes and want to try this one too! What temp and time would this cook at for regular muffin tins? Thank you. Oh, yeah I voted!
This is the best thing I have ever eaten with ground turkey!!!!! It was so yummy!
awesome easy recipe, very tasty, and the little one likes it too@
Our whole family loved these mini meatloaf bites! I am about to make them for the third time this month. It’s very had to find food that my daughter likes and so when I can find something, I stick to it. I love the website and can’t wait to try more recipes. I do have one question about this recipe. My mini muffin tin only holds half the recipe so we end up with 48. I was wondering if I should be using a half a pound of turkey instead of a whole pound or if I’m making the correct amount.