Garlic Parmesan Chicken Meatloaves

Who hasn’t had meatloaf at some point in their life?

Well, let me clarify. When I say meatloaf, I mean traditional meatloaf. The kind your mom used to make with ground beef, onions, and some form of ketchup sauce spread across the top. Sometimes it was shaped by hand, sometimes it was stuffed into a loaf pan. In the end, does it really matter? I say no. Aesthetics aren't nearly as important as flavor—at least when it comes to meatloaf.

Even a slightly misshapen meatloaf tastes pretty darn good to me. Serve it with a pile of mashed potatoes or tuck the leftovers into a sandwich the next day, and you have a winner.

Over the years, I’ve tried some of those meatloaves that sneak vegetables into the mix in an attempt to make them healthier. A little carrot here, some celery there...but honestly, I never felt like I deserved a pat on the back for eating my vegetables afterward. And then there are the recipes that call for three different kinds of meat. At that point, my grocery bill is going up, my meatloaf is getting enormous, and I’m not convinced we’ve actually accomplished anything.

So, I wanted to make a meatloaf that still felt like home but was a little more sophisticated—and a lot more fun to serve.

First, I decided not to use just any ground meat. I went rogue and used ground chicken. I mean, why not? If I was going off the grid, I might as well keep going.

Still, I wanted to keep things easy and limit the mess wherever I could. Although I love fresh breadcrumbs, this seemed like the perfect job for my good friend Panko. Add a little milk and an egg, and you have all the binding power you need without hauling out another appliance or pulverizing perfectly good bread.

And, lest anyone think I have something against vegetables, I kept the onion and invited chives and parsley along for the ride. Look at that—three vegetables! Okay, two herbs and an onion, but let’s not get technical. I’m not trying to turn meatloaf into a health food.

Then came the Parmesan. Because if ground chicken, garlic, herbs, and Parmesan are all hanging out together, we're already headed somewhere good.

But wait! A proper meatloaf needs a topping. And there was absolutely no way I was putting ketchup on this one. These little loaves needed something with more of a “hey, I’m kind of fancy” attitude. Something simple, but just sophisticated enough to make you forget we're still talking about meatloaf.

Butter. Garlic. Parmesan.

Boom.

And perhaps my favorite part? There’s no loaf pan involved. Just divide the mixture into four portions, shape them into little individual loaves, and into the oven they go. Then, during the last few minutes of baking, brush them with that buttery garlic Parmesan topping until everything is golden and delicious. Everyone gets their own little meatloaf—with no fighting over the end pieces.

I served mine with creamy Gruyère & Chive Mashed Potatoes, which turned out to be exactly the kind of side these deserved. Comfort food? Absolutely. Your mom’s meatloaf? Not exactly.

And I think Mom would be okay with that.