It’s meatloaf…really? Come on! You’re going to tell me you either hate it or tolerate it as a simple easy to make meal, right? Well, no more I say. I’m here to bring back this age old meal, change your mind, and make you fall in love!

What recipe can go wrong when the word “stuffing” is involved? I don’t know about you, but at all my family gatherings, the stuffing is talked about more than the turkey. I get calls ahead of time to make sure I will be making enough!

Years ago, decades actually, when I started adding some thousand island along with the ketchup to my meatloaf, I thought it couldn’t bet much better. But I’ll admit, I was wrong.

No matter what bread or crackers I used in my meatloaf, I always thought it could be better. It was about that time that I was buying funky flavored crackers to try to get that extra “umph” that I decided to use cornbread stuffing. And WOW!

Maybe it’s fitting that I post this recipe as Valentine’s Day is coming up, because this recipe will definitely take your special day up a notch.

I would love to hear your comments after trying this moist meatloaf, so please drop a comment below!

How to Make the Best Meatloaf Ever

1. Line a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix all your ingredients, then add the ground beef.
3. Place in loaf pan and pat down. Cover with foil.
4. Bake for 1 hour, spreading ketchup on top the last 15 minutes.
5. Check internal temp, it should read 160 degrees F.
6. Allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Moist Meatloaf Ingredients

Meat: When making meatloaf I like to use 90% lean ground beef. I like this choice as the low fat, in this case, only 10%, will stay with the meat and help to moisten the stove top stuffing in the recipe instead of being so much that it overflows into the pan. This meatloaf recipe isn’t just for ground beef, you could also make this recipe with ground chicken, ground turkey or ground pork.

Bread Crumbs: Stuffing, instead of bread crumbs is the real hero in this recipe! Although any bagged or boxed stuffing in any flavor can be used here, I like to use cornbread flavored stove top brand. I chose the boxed breadcrumbs and always buy several so I always have them on hand. If you are searching for a gluten free stuffing you should be able to find one as I have seen them at several grocery store that I frequent.

Egg: Most wouldn’t think of using eggs when cooking with meat, but in the case of meatloaf, it’s the perfect ingredient to help bind everything together. And if you’re cooking this in the air fryer instead of the oven, you’ll need the to bind everything together to hold it’s shape as the pan doesn’t go into the air fryer.

Ketchup: Use a homemade or store bought version, just make sure you shake it before adding it so you don’t get that little bit of liquid that seems to rise to the top. This is especially important when using small batch measurements.

Sauces: When I was a teenager, a friend of mine was making meatloaf for her family and she used thousand island along with the ketchup. I honestly thought I would hate her meatloaf, but holy cow! If you haven’t tried thousand island in your meatloaf, do so, you will thank me! It makes perfect sense as major restaurants offer hamburgers topping with thousand island. When using it with this meatloaf recipe, you’ll want to use it mixed in with the meat, not on top. I use ketchup for the glaze instead.

Vegetables: This recipe made with stuffing already contains some dried vegetables that are in the stuffing so I don’t feel the need to add any here. Besides, I love my meatloaf served with a healthy side of peas or green beans and mashed potatoes. For some added heat and spice you could add hot peppers like jalapeno or poblano peppers. If you’re a young mom with a kiddo, you can easily hide onions, celery, mushrooms, peas or corn in this recipe. Now that’s a win!

Extra flavoring: I love the addition of worcestershire sauce with my ground beef because I think it adds some depth. If you don’t have fresh minced garlic, you can use powder. If I had a choice, I would use minced onion, but I don’t always have on one on hand so onion powder, here too, is a good substitution. Red pepper flakes add just the right amount of heat and you can double this is you want. And lastly, because the 6 tablespoons of water/ beef broth isn’t significant, either will do, with my choice being the beef broth.

Can I Make Meatloaf in the Air Fryer?

This is a great recipe for the air fryer. I placed the instructions in the recipe card so it would print at the same time as the oven baked option and you would have both methods handy.

Last year, I was camping with a bunch of girlfriends and we brought my air fryer and made this meatloaf by using a campsite with electric hookup. It’s one of their favorite recipes, what can I say. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Reader Questions and Tips

Do I have to use stuffing in this recipe? Not at all. If you have crackers, crush 1/2 a row instead and use those. You can also toast 4 slices of bread (minus the crust) and finely chop or grate it. Your meatloaf will have much less flavor with bread, but it works in a pinch.

Can I make this egg-free? While the egg helps to bind the ingredients together, you can make meatloaf egg-free by substituting 1/8 cup egg-free mayonnaise. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the mayo!

Can I make this ahead of time? Sure can! Make the meatloaf and cover with foil. When you’re ready to cook it, take it out and let it sit on the counter while the oven is preheating. Then pop in the oven and cook as directed.

How do I store my leftover meatloaf? Your cooked leftovers will store in your refrigerator for 4 days. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.

Does meatloaf freeze well? Yes! Make sure you cool any meat before freezing it. Wrap in foil and a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Before heating, defrost in the refrigerator overnight. I like to slice my leftovers into pieces before I freeze, then wrap each piece separately. Not only does this defrost faster, a few hours as opposed to overnight, but I can take out a slice or two at a time to eat.

I don’t have a loaf pan, what can I use? You can buy an aluminum foil pan at the grocery store otherwise improvise. Take some foil and double it up. Place it against one side of an 8 X 8 or 9 X 13 pan. it should hold its shape relatively well. You can also make these in a cupcake pan. Since meat shrinks as opposed to a cupcake rising, you would fill the meat to the top of the cupcake. Be sure to check the temperature. The cooking time will be cut in half, with checking it after 25 minutes at first. You can still use the ketchup on top as a glaze.

How do I know when my meatloaf is cooked enough? Use a meat thermometer and stick it into the center of the meatloaf. It’s done when the temperature registers 160 degrees F.

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Moist Meatloaf Made With Stuffing

Super moist and delicious, classic meatloaf recipe made with stove top stuffing and thousand island dressing. Made in less than an hour, this tasty classic dish, made with stuffing instead of breadcrumbs, gets an extra boost of flavor with the addition of tasty thousand island and worcestershire.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer, moist meatloaf, stuffing

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Calories 346kcal

Author Sharon Knott

Ingredients

• 1.25 lb ground beef 90% lean
• 3 oz stove top stuffing, cornbread flavor ½ a box
• 1 large egg
• .50 tablespoon minced garlic or ¼ tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 2.75 tablespoons water or beef broth
• .75 teaspoon salt
• .5 teaspoon black pepper
• .50 tablespoon minced onion or ¼ tbsp onion powder
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2.75 tablespoons thousand island dressing
• .25 cup ketchup

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line a 9 x 5 inch pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, stir together eggs, minced garlic, worcestershire sauce, water, salt, pepper, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and thousand island dressing.
• Add ground beef and mix well.
• Place in loaf pan and pat down.
• Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until internal temperature reads 160°F.
• Brush top with ketchup the last 10 minutes of baking and leave uncovered.
• Allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Air Fryer Method for Meatloaf

• Preheat air fryer to 350° F. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper to come above rim of the pan so you have something to grab onto.
• Pat meat into pan then grab edges of parchment paper and raise out of pan and into air fryer. It's going to cook without a pan. Trim any long edges of parchment paper level with the top of meat.
• Using a knife, cut two slits on the bottom of the paper so liquid can escape and drain below.
• Bake for 1 hour. Brush top with ½ cup ketchup the last 5 minutes of air frying.
• Check the center of the meatloaf with a kitchen thermometer. The internal temperature should read 160°F. The meatloaf can be baked an extra 15 minutes if it's not done cooking in the center.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 739mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Moist Meatloaf Made with Stuffing first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post Moist Meatloaf Made with Stuffing appeared first on Plated for Two.

Of all the chicken recipes out there for healthy eating, I like falling back on this one. You get the benefit of eating clean with every ingredient in here.

I will admit, I went through much of my adult life not ever tasting an avocado. My mom just didn’t cook like that. When I was at a party, I tried a dip with my chip, and I was in heaven! Where oh where had this little gem been this whole time. From then on, I incorporated avocado in a lot of recipes.

Prep time on this meal is literally ten minutes and you can make this ahead and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, cut open your avocado and skin in. Heap generous amounts of the chicken mixture on top.

Chicken Stuffed Avocado Ingredients

Chicken: Most of the time I love to get a rotisserie chicken and make several meals with it. This is one of them!
Avocados: With so many different colors of avocados out there nowadays, the best way to determine if one is ripe is to gently squeeze it. There should be some give there.
Lemon juice: The acid in the lemon juice is what will prevent your avocados from browning. Just lightly squeeze a lemon and rub the juices all over once you have sliced/peeled it.
Tomatoes: I like to use a grape tomato or a Roma.
Red onion: Finely chop your red onion.
Olive oil: This helps hold blend the seasoning better and enables them to adhere better to the chicken and tomatoes.
Seasoning: Kosher salt is great on a recipe like this as is finely ground black pepper. Red pepper flakes add a slight bit of heat.
Balsamic glaze: Adding balsamic glaze to this dish finishes it and adds a wonderful sweet flavor.

How to Make Chicken Stuffed Avocados

1. Cut up your chicken, tomatoes and red onion and add to a bowl.
2. Gently mix the chicken, tomatoes, red onion, with olive oil and seasoning.
3. Remove skin from avocado.
4. Cut avocado in half , take out seed.
5. Coat with lemon juice.
6. Fill with mixture.
7. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Easy Tips for Cutting and Removing an Avocado

Most people will limp along using a spoon to try to remove an avocado seed and it’s flesh, the yellow/green edible part of the fruit. Often times the seed flies out of the spoon and lands on the counter. You can also leave a good deal of the flesh behind. I love my avocado multifunction tool. One side slices the flesh as you remove it which is great when you want a beautiful visual presentation. I often use the other side which digs out the pit as it also functions as the perfect scoop as well.

The Avocado Seed Removal Trick

Don’t have this tool? No problem! Just place the avocado securely in your hand and take a short knife and carefully whack the knife against the top of the seed. Gently turn the seed while the knife is still in it and “whalla,” you have the seed securely attached to the end of the knife. If you look closely you will already see a knife mark in my video. It was a challenge looking through my camera to get this shot and I didn’t hit it hard enough the first time.

Chicken Stuffed Avocado Variations

Meat: Shredded or sliced chicken or turkey work great for this recipe, as does ground turkey or beef.

Vegetables: Sliced green onion instead of red onion, celery, even grapes and walnuts.

Seasoning/Flavoring: Cajun seasoning, ranch seasoning, shredded cheese. Top with an egg or a dab of cottage cheese.

Balsamic glaze: Any type of dressing, ranch, blue cheese, western, poppy seed.

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Chicken Stuffed Avocados

Light and healthy Chicken Stuffed Avocados are a quick and easy meal you can enjoy for lunch or dinner.

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Chicken Stuffed Avocados, quick, easy, healthy, light

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 142kcal

Author Sharon Knott

Ingredients

• 2 medium-large avocados (make sure they are ripe/soft)
• 1 juice from lemon
• 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)
• 1 tomato or 4-6 grape tomatoes (sliced)
• ⅛ cup red onion (finally chopped)
• ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• pinch kosher salt to taste
• pinch black pepper to taste
• balsamic glaze (for garnish)
• basil (for garnish)

Makes: 1inch1 x 1inch rectangle

Instructions

• Cook or cut up a rotisserie chicken into small pieces.
• Slice tomatoes and red onions, add to the chicken.
• Add olive oil and gently toss.
• Add kosher salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
• Toss all ingredients well. Set aside.
• Cut avocado in halve and remove pit.
• Turn one of the avocado halves upside down and use a knife to gently cut through the skin, peeling back as you go. Complete second half.
• Heap onto half of avocado, extra amounts can just be placed on plate next to avocado.
• Garnish with balsamic glaze and thinly sliced basil
• Serve warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 231IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Chicken Stuffed Avocados with Tomatoes and Balsamic Glaze first appeared on Plated for Two.

The post Easy Chicken Stuffed Avocados with Tomatoes and Balsamic Glaze appeared first on Plated for Two.