Chicken Meatloaf in a Muffin Tin

I was reminded of this recipe for chicken meatloaf in individual servings (from Living a Changed Life) because it recently had a bit of a pin resurgence.

It's basically buffalo chicken meatloaf, complete with bleu cheese and Frank's Red Hot sauce. It uses standard meatloaf binders, oatmeal and milk.

I prefer to use a panade of egg and breadcrumbs in meatloaf, and this recipe didn't change my mind. It came together quickly and easily, but the end result was rather bland and dense. It wasn't popular with the family.

Verdict: Single-serving meatloaf is a good idea, but this just isn't the recipe.

30-Minute Meals: Skillet Chicken Pasta with Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This is the second in my series reviewing 30-minute meals from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (previously: coconut shrimp curry). This time I tried skillet chicken pasta with broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes.

It's one of those recipes where you add dry pasta to a sauce, and (in theory) the pasta absorbs just the right amount of liquid to cook and leave a nice sauce. In this case, you saute some chicken (remove it from the pan), saute aromatics, add liquids and pasta, and cook. Add the veggies towards the end so they don't overcook, and finish with cream, Parmesan, and the chicken.

I was a bit skeptical, thinking it might be bland or watery. It was great, though.

Very flavorful, and super easy. The husband and kids all loved it. I think you could bulk up the veggies a bit if you wanted to - maybe add some peas and artichoke hearts? It's really good as-is, though.

Verdict: Success! Quick, easy, and yum.