Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a traditional American comfort food, often times made with a mixture of ground beef, pork and veal. But for a different twist, I decided to make a meatloaf with ground chicken instead. My inspiration was the ever popular Chicken Parmesan. Using ground chicken, I made this Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf and it has now become the favorite meatloaf recipe at our house!


My husband isn't much of a meatloaf fan. His previous experience with meatloaf growing up weren't very good and he tries to eat beef sparingly anyway. So when I had some ground chicken to work with, I figured I'd try making a chicken meatloaf in hopes I could open his mind to meatloaf again. It's a good thing I did! I was inspired by Chicken Parmesan - chicken, italian spices, Parmesan cheese... how could this combination go wrong? I seasoned the ground chicken with a few dry spices, added some shredded cheese and formed it into a loaf. Before baking, I topped it with a homemade tomato sauce. Just before serving, I topped the meatloaf with a blend of shredded Italian cheeses and baked it again until the cheese melted. It was delicious and probably a lot easier to make than chicken Parmesan itself! This dish went especially well with Scalloped Tomatoes. If you're looking for a new meatloaf recipe to try, this may be one to consider!

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf
original Joelen recipe

1 lb ground chicken (ground turkey can be substituted)

1 egg

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 small onion, grated

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup pasta sauce (homemade or store bought)

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

minced parsley for garnish


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. To not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.

Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the meatloaf mixture as directed and place in a disposable loaf pan. Cover and freeze.** When ready to prepare and serve, defrost the meatloaf completely and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Top with pasta sauce and place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

** Alternately, you can top the meatloaf with pasta sauce before freezing and then bake from frozen, uncovered for 55-60 minutes on a baking sheet. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.