Cheesy Chicken Quinoa Enchilada Meatloaf Muffins

If you haven’t noticed, lately I’ve been bringing some of my favorite older recipes back to life by retesting and improving them, then updating the photography. If you’re new to Ambitious Kitchen then this recipe is most likely new to you, as it was originally published in 2014.

SAY HELLO to these gorgeous MEATLOAF MUFFINS!

YOU GUYS these healthy meatloaf muffins are basically packed healthy little flavor bombs. Oh and don’t worry, these babies aren’t dry like some of the meats on the internet. Instead, they’re perfectly flavored, moist, and topped with cheesy LOVE plus a spoonful of your favorite enchilada sauce.

I love these muffins because they are perfectly portioned and great for reheating and enjoying with a salad or fresh veggies. They’re also great as a midnight snack. I mean, I would know.

Everything you’ll need to make healthy meatloaf muffins

These low-carb mini meatloaf muffins are packin’ the spices, some veggies, and tons of protein. Plus, who doesn’t love a little cheese on top of their meatloaf? Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

• Quinoa: we’re using quinoa as the binder for these meatloaf muffins instead of bread crumbs or flour.
• Veggies: you’ll mix in some cooked onion, garlic, and bell pepper for a little veggie boost.
• Olive oil: you’ll need a little olive oil to sauté the vegetables.
• Herbs & spices: these meatloaf muffins get lots of warming flavors from cumin, dried oregano, chili powder, salt & pepper, plus a little freshness from cilantro.
• Heat: if you like a kick of spice like I do, you’ll want to add a few dashes of your fav hot sauce and red pepper flakes.
• Enchilada sauce: we’re getting that wonderful enchilada flavor and sauciness from red enchilada sauce. No ketchup in here!
• Ground chicken: for the perfect boost of protein that also creates the meatloaf texture. Feel free to use ground turkey, too! I haven’t tested these with lean ground beef, but it should also work well.
• Eggs: you can either use 2 egg white or 1 whole egg to help bind the meatloaf muffins.
• Cheese: I love topping these muffins with a little shredded colby jack, cheddar cheese, or Mexican blend cheese! You could also use shredded pepper jack for extra spice.

Feeding the kiddos?

I recommend leaving out the hot sauce and red pepper flakes so that the meatloaf muffins aren’t too spicy.

How to make healthy meatloaf muffins

1. Make the quinoa. Start by cooking your quinoa with water using this tutorial until it’s perfectly fluffy.
2. Cook the veggies. Sauté the garlic, onion, and bell pepper on a skillet with olive oil until the onions have softened, then transfer the veggies to a bowl to cool.
3. Mix the base. In the bowl with your veggies, add the cooked quinoa, herbs and spices, hot sauce, and half of the enchilada sauce. Mix well.
4. Add the meat. Fold in the ground chicken, egg white, and 1/4 cup of the cheese. I like to use my hands to get everything well combined.
5. Assemble & bake. Add 1/4 cup of the meat mixture to each hole of your muffin tin and bake them up for 25-30 minutes.
6. Top, bake again & serve. Remove the muffins from the oven and top with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese, then bake for a few minutes more until the meatloaf muffins are fully cooked. Then cool and serve!

How do you know when your meatloaf muffins are done?

Your meatloaf muffins will be done when the meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F.

Freezer-friendly meatloaf muffins

• Freeze unbaked meatloaf muffins: after mixing all of the ingredients together, shape into one or multiple balls or loaves, wrap well with plastic wrap and tin foil, and place in freezer bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake the muffins, let the meat thaw in the refrigerator before diving it into a muffin pan and baking as directed.
• Freeze baked meatloaf muffins: bake the meatloaf muffins as directed and let them cool completely. Wrap them well and freeze it for up to 3 months. To reheat it simply let the muffins thaw in the refrigerator, remove the wrapping, and then bake as directed until heated through.

What to serve with meatloaf muffins

• Drizzle them with my homemade Healthy Bleu Cheese Yogurt Dip or my Creamy Feta Yogurt Dressing
• Get extra cozy with my Creamy Garlic Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Best Garlic Bread You’ll Ever Eat, or my Fluffy Moist Cornbread
• Add a boost of veggies to the meal with Caramelized Garlic Carrots, Grilled Brussels Sprouts, or Sesame Garlic Roasted Asparagus
• Go fresh with this California Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad, Brussels Sprouts Kale Honeycrisp Apple Salad with Maple Cider Dressing, or this Roasted Sweet Potato, Pear & Pomegranate Spinach Salad

I hope you love these meal-prep meatloaf muffins. They’re perfect for snacking, making ahead for meal prep or just doing something a little different for your dinner.

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Cheesy Chicken Quinoa Enchilada Meatloaf Muffins

4.94 from 33 votes

byby :Monique Volz of AmbitiousKitchen.com

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Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

ServesServes 6 servings

Easy, cheesy chicken quinoa enchilada meatloaf muffins packed with lean protein and wonderful flavors. These fun meatloaf muffins are freezer-friendly and make the perfect dinner for kiddos and adults!

Ingredients

• For the quinoa:
• ⅓ cup uncooked quinoa
• ⅔ cup water
• For the muffins:
• 4 cloves of garlic
• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 red or orange pepper, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
• few dashes red pepper flakes, if desired
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• freshly ground salt and black pepper, to taste
• ¾ cup red enchilada sauce, divided
• 1 pound ground chicken or lean ground turkey breast
• 2 egg whites (or 1 egg)
• ⅔ cup reduced fat shredded colby jack or mexican cheese

Instructions

• To cook quinoa: In a small saucepan, bring water and quinoa to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with fork; set aside to cool for about 5 minutes. While the quinoa cooks you can move on to the next step.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin generously with cooking spray.
• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Cook for a few minutes or until the onions have softened. Transfer to a large bowl to cool for a few minutes.
• Add cooked quinoa, cumin, oregano, chili powder, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, cilantro, salt and pepper and half of enchilada sauce (you'll reserve the rest for topping the muffins later). 
• Next stir in ground chicken (or turkey) and egg whites and 1/4 cup of the cheese. You may need to use your hands to ensure all ingredients are well combined. 
• Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup or an ice cream scoop to add meatloaf mixture evenly to muffin cups.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon remaining enchilada sauce and cheese over the tops of muffins. 
• Place back in oven and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese melts and muffins are cooked. 
• Let cool for a few minutes then serve with fresh vegetables for a full meal. Makes 6 servings, 2 meatloaf muffins each

Recipe Notes

To make meatloaf less spicy and kid-friendly, omit red pepper flakes and hot sauce.

If you can't find ground chicken breast, you can ask the butcher to grind it for you at the grocery store - they always do this for me at whole foods. Another option is extra lean ground turkey!

Feel free to use 1 egg instead of 2 egg whites.

Nutrition

Serving: 2meatloaf muffinsCalories: 208calCarbohydrates: 13.3gProtein: 25.9gFat: 6.5gFiber: 2.1gSugar: 3.7g