I don’t know about you, but sometimes there’s just no creativity left after a long day and to have to think of a lunchbox snack to pack that you know your toddler would like, becomes a daunting task.
Luckily, SAMFA (The South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association) came to my rescue with this recipe – one I can easily prepare on a Sunday night, filling my kiddies’ tummies with some yummy goodness for the week to come.
This Chicken, Mushroom and Corn Meatloaf recipe includes the wholesome goodness of mushrooms – something I always have in the fridge these days as it has so many benefits. As it is an acquired taste, the kids aren’t always that keen on mushrooms, though. So, I sneak it into a lunchbox snack like this one, without them even knowing!
READ: Nectarine muffins for your child’s lunchbox
Chicken, Mushroom and Corn Meatloaf
The perfect lunchbox snack
Makes 1 standard sized loaf tin (± 20cm x 10cm)
Ingredients
400g white button mushrooms
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 XL free-range egg, lightly beaten
½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 large marrow, grated, salted, degorged & squeezed dry
1 corn on the cob, steamed and cut off the cob
ÂĽ cup parsley, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp lemon juice
ÂĽ cup spring onions, sliced
2 tsp dried oregano
400g chicken mince
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pink sauce
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
4 Tbsp tomato sauce
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
Method
To make the pink sauce
Mix mayonnaise and tomato sauce together in a bowl.
Add a little squeeze of lemon juice and salt, to taste.
Set aside in the fridge for serving.
Preheat oven to 180ËšC.
Lightly spray a ± 20cm x 10cm loaf tin with non-stick olive oil spray.
Using a food processor, pulse the mushrooms until they are finely chopped.
In a large pan sauté the mushrooms with a little drizzle of olive oil until they have sweated off most of their water, about 10 to 15 min. Set mushrooms aside.
Add a fresh drizzle of olive oil to the pan and add the shallots.
Cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Season well and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the cooled mushrooms and shallots and the rest of the ingredients except the chicken, mix very well.
Add the chicken mince and season with salt and pepper.
Mix to combine.
Spoon mixture into loaf tin.
Bake for 30 minutes until browned on top and cooked through.
Remove from the oven and remove from the loaf tin.
Return to the oven on a baking tray for another 10 minutes to brown the sides.
Slice and serve with pink sauce and a side salad.
I love packing my kids’ lunchboxes with a li’l something homemade. I believe it reminds them of home, making them feel loved no matter where they are. This is surely one recipe that I’ll be using more than once this school year.
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