I’m always a fan of combinations of cheese and spinach, and this recipe for Mini Chicken Meatloaf on 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes is no exception. The fun part of this recipe is that it carries that flavor combination throughout all of its layers. It takes a comforting flavor profile and offers it in a unique format for your guests to enjoy.
When you think about a mini meatloaf and what it looks like when you turn it upside down, you can easily see how this dish made its way onto the cat food inspired menu for my Cat Boys’ First Birthday Party. I can, however, promise you that, while these cute little morsels turned upside down could be made to look like paté cat food, the resemblance stops there. Packed with spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese
While you may choose to change up the format, the combination of flavors and textures needs to happen for an upcoming dinner party. Read on to see how to put it all together.
The 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes and the assembly of the whole jumped out of my imagination. However, the Mini Chicken Meatloaf and Sweet Sriracha Glaze are from Hey Keto Mama’s Easy Keto Chicken Meatloaf Cups. Any modifications I made to the recipe or process are detailed below.
What You Need to Make Mini Chicken Meatloaf on 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes
Equipment
- For the Sweet Sriracha Sauce:
- Small Bowl – Preferably with a lid, so you can just make it, store, and serve it from 1 bowl.
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Whisk
- Rubber Scraper
- For the Mini Chicken Meatloaves:
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Rubber Scraper or Other Stirring Utensil
- Muffin Pan – Silicone if you have it.
- Cooking Spray
- Airtight Container
- For the Sautéed Garlicky Spinach:
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- Large Skillet or Sauté Pan
- Measuring Spoons
- Large Measuring Cup or Kitchen Scale
- Airtight Container
- For the 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes:
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Large Skillet or Sauté Pan
- Fine Mesh Strainer
- Cheese Cloth
- Rubber Scraper or Other Stirring Utensil
- Large Heat Resistant Mixing Bowl
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
- Parchment Paper
- Cooking Spray
- Cookie Cutter – Either 3-inch round or a similarly sized shape (like a paw print)
Ingredients
- For the Sweet Sriracha Sauce:
- Sugar Reduced Ketchup
- Sriracha
- Soy Sauce
- Swerve Brown – Or Sukrin Gold or other erythritol based brown sugar substitute of your choice
- White Vinegar
- For the Mini Chicken Meatloaves:
- Ground Chicken
- Fresh Spinach – Will need to be chopped and packed into a measuring cup.
- Eggs – I use jumbo as long as I can get them.
- Mozzarella – Shredded
- Parmesan – Either shredded or grated is fine.
- Small Onion
- For the Sautéed Garlicky Spinach:
- Fresh Spinach -Chopped
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Broth or Stock – If you want to make your own, try my Homemade Chicken+ Broth.
- For the 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes:
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Spinach – This will need to be chopped, cooked, and drained. The weight listed in the recipe is before cooking and draining it.
- Eggs – I use jumbo as long as I can find them.
- Chia Seeds – It doesn’t matter if they are black chia seeds or white chia seeds.
- Avocado Oil – This is just for cooking the cauliflower rice at the beginning
- Cauliflower Rice – I use 3 bags to fill a rimmed baking sheet that’s technically a “half-size sheet pan” to about a 1-inch thickness. Depending on the brand you find, the bags typically range from 10 ounces to 12 ounces. Use 3 bags of whichever size in that range you can find.
- Broth or Stock – If you want to make your own, try my Homemade Chicken+ Broth.
- Heavy Cream
- Mozzarella – Shredded
- Parmesan – Either shredded or grated is fine.
- Feta – Crumbled
Getting Started with Making Mini Chicken Meatloaf on 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes
Okay to get this dish made, we’ll break it down into its requisite parts.
Preparing the Sweet Sriracha Sauce
First off, we’ll mix up the quick to make Sweet Sriracha Sauce. I suggest using a small bowl with a lid. That way you can just use the one bowl rather than dirtying two. In that small bowl, combine 1/2 Cup Sugar Reduced Ketchup, 2 teaspoons Sriracha, 4 teaspoons Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Swerve Brown (or Sukrin Gold or another erythritol based brown sugar replacement of your choice), and 1 teaspoon White Vinegar. Thoroughly whisk the ingredients together, cover, and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. You’ll need it to top the mini meatloaves before baking them and then again for plating the complete dish.
Axel was very interested in what I was making
Making the Mini Chicken Meatloaves
Next up, we’ll make the Mini Chicken Meatloaves. Before you start mixing the ingredients, preheat the oven to 350°F and liberally spray 2 muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. (Personally, I prefer silicone muffin pans for easier removal.)
Vegetable Prep
Dice 1 Small Onion and set it aside.
Then chop 4 cups of Fresh Spinach. I pack it pretty tightly into a 1-quart measuring cup.
Combining the Meatloaf Ingredients
Then in a large mixing bowl, you will mix the ground chicken, diced onion, chopped spinach, 2 eggs. 1.5 cups of shredded mozzarella, and 1 cup of shredded or grated parmesan. I use my hands for this step to make sure everything is fully incorporated.
Baking the Meatloaves
Fill each muffin cup between ⅔ and ¾ of the way full. Basically, you’re just trying to put the same amount in each muffin cup so that they cook evenly. Spread a spoonful of the Sweet Sriracha Sauce on top of each Mini Meatloaf.
Bake at 350°F for 40 – 45 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. I suggest checking them with an instant read thermometer at the 35 minute mark as oven temperatures can vary. If you’ve hit 165°F, go ahead and pull them out.
Allow them to cool in the muffin pans for about 10 minutes and then move them to a flat surface to cool the rest of the way. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to plate them.
Making Sautéed Garlicky Spinach
I suggest making this right before the cauliflower rice and using the same pan.
Start by roughly chopping 16 ounces of Fresh Spinach.
I find it easier to combine my seasonings in advance and just set them next to the stovetop. You will combine ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon Onion Powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, and ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper. Set aside for a moment.
In a large sauté pan over medium high heat combine ¼ cup Chicken Stock or Broth, the chopped spinach, and the seasonings that you just mixed. Cook the spinach until it is completely wilted, stirring to distribute the seasonings.
You can either serve it immediately or cool it completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. If you have a container like a glass storage one that can go into the oven as well, that will simplify the reheating process when it’s time to plate the dish.
Creating 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes
Now we move on to the 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes.
Getting Everything in Place
This recipe goes more smoothly if you get everything set up before you begin cooking. Even though it’s not quick cooking like a stir fry, it’s easier to get through the many steps if you streamline them.
First blend your spices (½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon Onion Powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, and ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper). Just set them aside next to the stovetop where you will be cooking the cauliflower rice.
Next measure out your liquids and cheeses. You will need to separately add 1.5 cups of Chicken Stock or Broth and ¾ cup of Heavy Cream. In the cheese category, go ahead and combine 3 ounces of shredded Mozzarella cheese, 3 ounces of shredded or grated Parmesan, and 3 ounces of crumbled Feta cheese. Place all of these near your cauliflower cooking area as well.
Then, beat 6 Eggs in a medium bowl and stir in ¾ cup of Chia Seeds. Mix them well so that the chia seeds are submerged and have a chance to absorb the liquid.
Finally, line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and parchment paper. After that, go ahead and thoroughly spray the parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray. You really don’t want these cakes to stick to the pan.
Cooking the Cauliflower Mock Risotto
Start cooking the cauliflower rice by heating 1 tablespoon of Avocado Oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Pour in all 3 bags of Cauliflower Rice and stir it around to break up clumps. Mix in the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper that you combined earlier as well as 1.5 cups of Chicken Stock or Broth. Cook the cauliflower rice until all of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring well so that all of the seasonings are evenly distributed.
Pour in ¾ cup of Heavy Cream and all 3 cheeses. Keep stirring until the cheese has melted. Then remove it from the heat and transfer it to a heat safe dish or bowl so that it can cool. If you were not going to make the rest of this dish, you could stop at this point and have a very yummy cauliflower rice side dish.
Creating Cauliflower Chia Cakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Allow the cauliflower rice mock risotto mixture to cool to around 90°F. Then stir in the chia seed and egg mixture until you have a completely homogeneous batter.
Pour the cauliflower-chia-egg mixture into the prepared, parchment lined and sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until set.
Storing and Reheating the Cauliflower Chia Cakes
Allow the cauliflower-chia cake to cool.
Use a 3-4” cookie cutter to cut out patties. (I used one shaped like a paw for my cat-themed dinner party.) As an alternative, you could just cut squares from the sheet pan, such as a 3 by 4 grid. Take the “scraps” and cut / break them into ~2” pieces that you will use for a “seconds” station.
You can either serve immediately or store for later. For this dish, I’m going to assume that you are assembling the dish later. In that case, allow the cakes to cool completely and then store them in the fridge in an airtight container. The reheating instructions are below.
Assembling the Final Dish
Reheating the Components
To reheat the Sautéed Garlicky Spinach and the Mini Chicken Meatloaves, place them in oven safe casserole dishes, cover them with aluminum foil, and set them in the oven on Warm (180°F) for about 15 minutes.
For reheating the 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes, lay them on a lined and greased rimmed baking sheet and put them in the oven on Warm (180°) for 15 – 20 minutes. In addition to the cutout cakes, don’t forget to also warm the “scrap” pieces that you broke up into ~2” chunks.
Plating
Finally, you’re ready to plate this delicious entrée. Start off by laying a 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cake on the plate. Next you’ll add a large spoonful of the Sautéed Garlicky Spinach on top of the cake. Then take a Mini Chicken Meatloaf, turn it upside down (red side down) and set it on top of the spinach. Lastly, spoon some of the Sweet Sriracha Sauce on top. Serve warm.
To give guests a flexible option for seconds, also heat the chunked “scrap” pieces of cauli-chia cake and place them in a dish next to the remaining meatloaves, spinach, and sauce.
Related Recipes
Interested in similar styles of dishes? Take a look at these ones:
- Braised Beef Short Rib on Gorgonzola Cauliflower Chia Cakes
- Honey Mustard Salmon Bites on Cheddar Creole Cauliflower Chia Cakes
Wondering what else to serve with this dish? Check out my Cat Boys’ First Birthday Party page for some menu ideas.
Mini Chicken Meatloaf on 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes
Ingredients
For the Sweet Sriracha Sauce:
- ½ Cup No Sugar Added Ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha
- 4 teaspoons Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Swerve Brown or Sukrin Gold
- 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
For the Mini Chicken Meatloaves:
- 2 pounds Ground Chicken
- 4 cups Fresh Spinach Chopped and packed into a measuring cup
- 2 Eggs
- 1.5 cups Mozzarella Cheese Shredded
- 1 cups Parmesan Cheese Shredded or Grated
- 1 Small Onion
For the Sautéed Garlicky Spinach:
- 16 ounces Fresh Spinach Chopped
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ¼ cup Chicken Stock or Broth If you want to make your own, try this Homemade Chicken+ Broth.
For the 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes:
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 7.5 ounces Spinach Chopped, Cooked, and Drained. The weight is before cooking and draining it.
- 1.75 cups Stock Divided: 1.5 cups for the cauliflower rice, ¼ cup for the spinach
- 1 – 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil
- 30 ounces Cauliflower Rice 3 bags or 30 to 36 ounces, depending on the size of the bags you find at your store
- ¾ cup Heavy Cream
- 6 Eggs
- ¾ cup Chia Seeds
- 3 ounces Mozzarella Shredded
- 3 ounces Parmesan Shredded or Grated
- 3 ounces Feta Crumbled
Instructions
For the Sweet Sriracha Sauce:
- Combine 1/2 Cup No Sugar Added Ketchup, 2 teaspoons Sriracha, 4 teaspoons Soy Sauce, 1/4 cup Swerve Brown, 1 teaspoon White Vinegar in a small bowl. (Best if you have one that also has a lid for stashing in the fridge.)1/2 Cup No Sugar Added Ketchup, 2 teaspoons Sriracha, 4 teaspoons Soy Sauce, 1/4 cup Swerve Brown, 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
- Whisk to thoroughly combine.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it on the meatloaves or to plate the dish.
For the Mini Chicken Meatloaves:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and liberally spray 2 muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.
- Dice 1 Small Onion and set it aside.1 Small Onion
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients (2 pounds Ground Chicken, 4 cups Fresh Spinach (chopped), 2 Eggs, 1.5 cups Mozzarella Cheese (shredded), 1 cups Parmesan Cheese (shredded or grated), and 1 Small Onion (diced).2 pounds Ground Chicken, 4 cups Fresh Spinach, 2 Eggs, 1.5 cups Mozzarella Cheese, 1 cups Parmesan Cheese
- Spoon the mixture into the cups about ⅔ to ¾ of the way full, so that each cup is about equal.
- Spoon a small amount of the Sweet Sriracha Sauce on the top of each muffin cup, reserving the rest for plating and serving.
- Bake at 350°F for 40 – 45 minutes. I suggest checking them with a meat thermometer around the 35 minute mark for doneness. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165°F. If you hit that by 35 minutes, go ahead and pull them out.
- Cool in the muffin tins for 10 minutes. Then remove to finish cooling on a flat surface. You can either serve them immediately or store them until you’re ready to plate and serve the dish.
- To store them, allow the meatloaves to cool completely. Then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. You can reheat them by placing them in a casserole dish covered with aluminum foil in the oven on “Warm” (180°F) for about 15 minutes.
For the Sautéed Garlicky Spinach:
- Roughly chop 16 ounces Fresh Spinach.16 ounces Fresh Spinach
- Combine ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon Onion Powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, and ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper. Set aside near the stovetop where you’ll be cooking.½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon Onion Powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, combine ¼ cup Chicken Stock or Broth, 16 ounces Fresh Spinach (chopped), and the spices you already mixed.¼ cup Chicken Stock or Broth
- Cook until the spinach is completely wilted and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Either serve immediately or cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to plate the dish.
For the 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes:
- Combine 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder, ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt, and ¾ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper. Set aside.¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ¾ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- Chop 7.5 ounces Spinach. Set aside.7.5 ounces Spinach
- Beat 6 Eggs. Add ¾ cup Chia Seeds. Mix well so that the Chia Seeds are completely submerged in the liquid. Set aside for the Chia Seeds to hydrate for at least 10 minutes.6 Eggs, ¾ cup Chia Seeds
- In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, combine ¼ cup Chicken Stock or Broth and the 7.5 ounces Spinach (chopped). Cook until the spinach is completely wilted. Then remove the spinach to a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as possible.1.75 cups Stock, 7.5 ounces Spinach
- In the same large sauté pan heat 1 – 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil over medium high heat. Add 30 ounces Cauliflower Rice (3 bags, can range from 30 to 36 ounces) to the pan along with the combined Garlic Powder, Kosher Salt, and Ground Black Pepper.¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ¾ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, 1 – 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil, 30 ounces Cauliflower Rice, 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is heated through and almost all of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add ¾ cup Heavy Cream, drained spinach, 3 ounces Mozzarella (shredded), 3 ounces Parmesan (shredded or grated), and 3 ounces Feta (crumbled). Stir until the cheese is melted.¾ cup Heavy Cream, 3 ounces Mozzarella, 3 ounces Parmesan, 3 ounces Feta
- Remove from heat and allow to cool to around 90°F. You can speed up this process by transferring the mixture to a dish that will increase its surface area such as a 9×13” glass casserole dish.
- Once cooled, thoroughly combine the chia and egg mixture into the cooked cauliflower rice.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and parchment paper. Then spray it with cooking spray. Pour the cauliflower rice and chia mixture onto the greased parchment paper on the baking sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until set.
- Allow the sheet of cauliflower chia cake to cool. Then use a 3-4” cookie cutter to cut out patties. (I used one shaped like a paw.) Alternatively, you could just cut squares from the sheet pan, such as a 3 by 4 grid. You can either serve immediately or store for later.
- If using a cookie cutter, break apart the “scraps” into ~2” pieces. You will warm those as well and use them for “seconds.”
- Once cooled completely, store these in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
- Reheat on a sheet pan in the oven on warm (180°F) for 15 – 20 minutes.
Assembly, Plating, and Seconds:
- Warm the 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes by laying them flat on a greased baking sheet and placing them in the oven on Warm (180°F) for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Warm the mini meatloaves and sautéed spinach by placing them in foil covered casserole dishes and setting them in the oven on Warm (180°F) for about 15 minutes.
- Set a 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cake on the plate and add large spoonful of Sautéed Garlicky Spinach.
- Then invert a Mini Chicken Meatloaf (red sauce side should be facing down) and place that on top of the spinach.
- Spoon some Sweet Sriracha Sauce on the top. Serve warm.
- To give guests a flexible option for “seconds,” place the chunked “scraps” of cauliflower chia cake in a 9×13” dish next to the remaining mini meatloaves and sweet sriracha sauce.
Equipment
- For the Sweet Sriracha Sauce:
- Small Bowl – Preferably with a lid
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Whisk
- For the Mini Chicken Meatloaves:
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Cooking Spray
- Airtight Container
- For the Sautéed Garlicky Spinach:
- Measuring Spoons
- Large Measuring Cup or Kitchen Scale
- Airtight Container
- For the 3 Cheese and Spinach Cauliflower Chia Cakes:
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Cheese Cloth
- Large Heat Resistant Mixing Bowl
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
- Parchment Paper
- Cooking Spray
- Cookie Cutter – Either 3-inch round or a similarly sized shape (like a paw print)
Notes
- Link to Original Recipe for Mini Chicken Meatloaves and Sweet Sriracha Sauce
- Easy Keto Chicken Meatloaf Cups on Hey Keto Mama
- https://www.heyketomama.com/keto-chicken-meatloaf-cups/
- Easy Keto Chicken Meatloaf Cups on Hey Keto Mama
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