Mini Chicken “Meatloaf” Cups (Gluten-Free)

This recipe has quickly become a family favorite in our home! It can be made with any ground meat of your choice, or a combination of ground meats. I love the simplicity and versatility of this recipe and the fact that it only requires a few ingredients. You can also sneak in some finely chopped vegetables of your choice for those picky eaters. Also makes a wonderful afternoon snack! I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do 🙂

A huge “Thank You” to “The Pioneer Woman” (aka: “Ree Drummond”) for sharing the original version of this recipe. I have made some changes in order to make this dish GF and allergy-friendly for our family.

Mini Chicken “Meatloaf” Cups (Gluten-Free)

1 1/2 Cups Gluten-Free Whole Oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill GF Whole Oats)
1 Cup Whole Milk (or Unflavored Oat Milk for a dairy-free version)
2 1/2 lbs Ground Chicken (or ground Turkey, Pork, Beef or combination of ground meats of your choice)
2 tsp Dried Minced Parsley (or 3 Tablespoons Freshly Minced Parsley)
1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt (such as “Season All” or “Lawry’s”)
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper ( )
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional, if you would like a bit of heat)
1/4 + 3/4 Cup Ketchup (more, if needed)
Shredded Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Generously spray 18-20 standard muffin cups (2 – 12-cup muffin pans) with cooking spray; set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the Whole Oats and Milk together; set aside for about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the ground Meat, the Oat mixture, Parsley, Seasoned Salt, Pepper and 1/4 Cup Ketchup.
Scoop a 1/4-cup portion of the Meat mixture into the prepared muffin cups and evenly flatten/smooth the tops.
Next, squirt about 1/2 teaspoon of Ketchup onto the tops of each “meatloaf” and smooth the Ketchup evenly to thoroughly coat the tops.
Bake for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the muffin pans from the oven and squirt another 1/2 teaspoon onto the tops of the “meatloaves,” spreading evenly with the back of the spoon to thoroughly coat each “meatloaf.”
Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until edges start to crisp and/or sizzle.
Remove from the oven and add any additional Ketchup to the tops; you may also lightly sprinkle the tops with shredded Parmesan Cheese, if desired; let sit in the pan for about 5 minutes before serving.
Excellent served with a fresh Salad and fruit! Yummy 🙂

Appetizers, Dinner, Hors d’Oeuvres, Lunch, Main Dish, Snacks

American

Copycat Cheez-It Cheddar Cheese Crackers ~ Gluten Free

These are the yummiest Gluten-Free Cheese Crackers I have EVER tasted!!! They taste just like Cheez-It crackers! Plus, they are SO easy to make and only 6 ingredients are needed 🙂 I love them with my Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup…or just by themselves! A big bag of these yummy crackers would make a perfect treat for anyone.
*This recipe was adapted from a Ree Drummond (aka: “The Pioneer Woman”) recipe (“Homemade Cheddar Crackers”)…of course! Thank you SO much for sharing!

2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)
1 Cup Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend (I use Caputo brand – it’s a little more expensive, but well worth it – it performs like “regular” flour and is not gritty)
4 Tbsp Salted Butter (Kept cold & cut into small pieces)
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt (I use Season-All)
3 Tbsp Ice Water

Place all of the ingredients, except for the Ice Water, into a Food Processor and pulse until the mixture looks like sand.
With the Food Processor running, slowly add the Ice Water, one Tablespoon at a time, through the shoot until the dough forms a ball.
Wrap the Cheese-dough ball in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 1-2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
Roll out the dough to 1/4″ thickness and cut into desired-size squares using a pizza cutter ~ I use a straight-edge ruler and usually cut my dough into 1″ x 1″ squares.
Place the squares onto the lined baking sheets.
Using the smaller end of a chop stick or wooden skewer, poke a small hole into the center of each square.
Note: If desired, you can sprinkle the crackers with a little kosher salt at this stage, but they really do not need it 😉
Bake the crackers for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown; I bake mine for the maximum amount of time since I prefer mine on the more crispy side.
Allow to cool completely to fully develop the flavors and desired crispiness.
Enjoy with your favorite soup, salad or all on their own 🙂
Note: if your crackers get soft, simply toss them onto a baking sheet and re-heat in a 275 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes.

Appetizers, Hors d’Oeuvres, Lunch, Snacks, Soup

Easy Sausage Pinwheels (Only 3 Ingredients!)

These are one of those yummy foods that take me right back to my childhood! My older sister was always in charge of making these for our annual Christmas parties and I remember eating dozens of them before they even left the kitchen :). They are SO easy to make and oh so yummy!

2 Cans Crescent Dough Sheet (If you can’t find the sheets, just use the regular crescent dough and press the seams together)
1 Pound Pork Sausage (You may use Regular or Spicy)
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I use Sharp)

Gather the ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the sausage and cheese using two forks. Mix well and set aside.
On a large sheet of foil, unroll one of the Crescent Dough Sheets.
Spread half of the sausage mixture onto the dough sheet using a fork.
Roll up the dough and sausage mixture along the longer edge of the dough sheet.
Repeat these steps with the second Dough Sheet and remaining sausage mixture.
Wrap the foil around each dough roll and freeze for about 2-3 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly spray a cookie sheet or line it with a silicone baking pad. Set aside.
Slice the dough rolls into about 1/4″ – 3/8″ wide slices and place on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden color.
Serve warm 🙂

Appetizers, Hors d’Oeuvres, Snacks