The other day I was talking to someone, a fella, and he said something incredibly stupid. Now, this wasn’t a guy I am interested in, but he fits the Lexa mold…kind of dumb.
Now, full disclosure dictates that I am honest with you and myself; I have never met a big, dim, and pretty boy that didn’t make my heart skip a beat. I have a bit of meathead lust.
I was so aghast as his gaffe that I had to share with a friend. I messaged her and related the story with this commentary: “Ya know, all in all, I am of fairly average intelligence, but sometimes I have conversations where I am convinced I am a genius and I think ‘Lexa, GO CURE CANCER’ “.
Well perhaps genius is a bit of an overstatement, but I have my moments. Take this bbq chicken meatloaf. God damn, am I smart. I made a homemade bbq sauce inside the meat and then brushed the tops with the jarred goods. I used ground chicken which kept it lean, as did using egg beaters, and all the vegetables kept it plenty moist. I then used my meatloaf cupcake approach to make individual portions; perfect for lunches. These were crazy good, unique but not weird, and super easy to make.
Sometimes being this smart really is a burden, but at least it is to your benefit. You are welcome.
BBQ Chicken Meatloaf
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 large onion or one small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, shredded and then chopped in to tiny pieces (I grabbed shredded carrot from the salad bar)
1 TBSP dijon mustard
1 TBSP catsup
1/2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP cider vinegar
1 TBSP maple syrup
Tobasco/Hot Sauce to taste
Salt and pepper
1 egg (or two egg whites or egg beaters)
1/2 breadcrumbs (I used panko)
1 package ground chicken (about 1.5 lbs)
Prepared BBQ Sauce (I like Jack Daniels)
Pam Spray
1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray a muffin pan and set aside.
2. Heat large sauce pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and let it heat for a minute. Add onions and garlic to pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Throw carrots to pan and cook for an additional 3 minutes. You just want everything kind of soft.
3. While vegetables soften, whisk together in large bowl the catsup, mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, maple syrup, hot sauce, and salt and pepper.
4. Add ground chicken, egg and breadcrumbs to bowl. Dump in softened vegetables and mix together with hands.
5. Divide meat in to muffin tins and brush tops with a generous portion of bbq sauce.
6. Cook for 45 minutes. Enjoy.
6:00 am on October 29th, 2009
I like the idea of making meatloaf cupcakes (as it were). Portioning is something that has gotten way out of control in American diets so these are perfect. Go Lexa!
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6:16 am on October 29th, 2009
Well helllloooooo, Sunday project.
Thanks for this, cupcake.
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6:24 am on October 29th, 2009
First off, BBQ and meatloaf are two of my son’s favorites and since he’s sick, this is the PERFECT recipe for me. THANK YOU!
Secondly, I love it that you have a soft spot for the meatheads. Me too! And, I like to consider myself very intelligent. Maybe the dims ones make me shine more
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6:24 am on October 29th, 2009
it is not even 8:30am and I am craving meatloaf cupcakes now.
can’t wait to make them!
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6:39 am on October 29th, 2009
I have my reservations about chicken loaf… with that said, I am willing to try it. Especially since you added bbq sauce. bbq= Key to JP’s heart.
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6:41 am on October 29th, 2009
i’m an idiot…it should be right now.
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6:56 am on October 29th, 2009
I never would have thought of the cupcake idea. I’ll definitely be using it in the future. You’re a genius!
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7:11 am on October 29th, 2009
Can you make this with beef as well? Will the whole cupcake thing work with moo cow?
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Lemmonex Reply:
October 29th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Yes to the beef and this would work in cupcake form with any kind of ground meat.
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7:19 am on October 29th, 2009
Ready for me to rock your world?
I’m not a huge fan of bbq.
Unless its like pulled pork. or ribs.
maybe I just don’t like bbq chicken. i know, i’m weird.
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7:47 am on October 29th, 2009
I thought about you when I was writing my restaurant review yesterday.
I’m officially making meat cupcakes.
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8:27 am on October 29th, 2009
Holy balls of meat. My heart skipped a bit.
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8:38 am on October 29th, 2009
Marry me.
I feel like I may have proposed to you before. Not sure.
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8:40 am on October 29th, 2009
I never thought to make them in cupcake tins before. Genius, lexa dear! Genius! And I’ve never used ground chicken. Only ground turkey. Interesting…..
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8:59 am on October 29th, 2009
You are, truly, a genius. This is fantastic.
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9:03 am on October 29th, 2009
damn I didn’t feel hungry till that picture popped up and my stomach let out a growl that would frighten big foot.
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9:08 am on October 29th, 2009
Haha. I get it…meat.loaf.meat.head.
That must make me smarter than I look. wait, what?
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9:08 am on October 29th, 2009
Why aren’t girls ever into short, nerdy guys? Where is the market for that?
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9:50 am on October 29th, 2009
Oh my God, that is an AWESOME lunch idea. I’m so sick of what I take to lunch – these look like a perfect update to my lunch schedule. Yum.
I think being into meatheads is a better bet in DC than being into, say, tall, slightly effeminate men.
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10:21 am on October 29th, 2009
im trying to forget the fact that i don’t have any lunch today and bam there this is.
im hungry.
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10:26 am on October 29th, 2009
so that sounds like, lick my lips amazing. silly question but do you line the cupcake tray with foil or anything or just throw em in there?
also, my very familiar to both of us ex was the biggest meathead ive ever dated.
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Lemmonex Reply:
October 29th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Nope, you spray the pans with the pam so they dont stick.
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10:56 am on October 29th, 2009
This looks fantastic! My loaf always falls apart, so maybe this would work out better…
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11:52 am on October 29th, 2009
i normally prefer meatloaf that contains cow meat but i love the photo.
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12:48 pm on October 29th, 2009
I will be making these for sure. Anything with chicken and bar-b-que sauce are irresistible to my husband. Plus, they are rather healthy.
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2:58 pm on October 29th, 2009
bbq sauce makes every taste amazing. it’s really the third best condiment behind mustard and ketchup. as for mayonnaise i’d rather not.
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3:23 pm on October 29th, 2009
Mmmm looks so tasty, thanks for the receipe!
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3:50 pm on October 29th, 2009
I’ve always known you were a genius. No doubt in my mind. Astrophysicist if you wanted to be. Wait, you are, cuz your food……….wait for it……….”Out of this world”
As for the meat head thing, We’ll talk
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4:42 pm on October 29th, 2009
Um, I love your description of the men that make your heart go pitter-pat.
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7:26 am on October 30th, 2009
I will give you credit for being a genius, because somehow you have made meatloaf look and sound appealing.
Let me say that I abhor meatloaf. I have always described it as “taking meat, then mixing your garbage into it”. Awful.
But it takes a genius to make me look at any meatloaf dish and think, if only for a second, “that looks pretty good”. I still won’t try it, however.
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10:36 pm on October 30th, 2009
Wow that is a really great idea. Looks damn tasty too!
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12:56 pm on November 2nd, 2009
I made this last night and it was great. I used the same bottle BBQ sauce for the inside as the outside though.
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11:01 pm on December 29th, 2009
Lilu sent me over there to try and make these for my man, since i’m challenged in the kitchen- so basically. I’m making them. and i think they look effing deliciosu.
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