CHICKEN AND BACON AND 6 VEG LOAF
I first saw this recipe in one of my favourite food blogs called Well Nourished. I love it not only because it’s super easy to make and looks incredible but it can be made in advance and re-heated – about 30 minutes in a medium oven should do it. It also packs an incredible nutritional punch and it is loaded with flavour. I have changed the recipe a little and have made it totally paleo and have snuck in some extra omega 3 fatty acids for the brain by using flaxseeds instead of grains to give body to the loaf. I’ve also added extra variety of vegetables and included a little more sweetness with tomatoes and apples to appeal to the really little people. I used the root veg I had in my veg box but you can play around with what you have. The bacon I have used is nitrate free from Waitrose. The meatloaf is delicious as a main meal or if you have any leftover then you can enjoy it as a snack, either hot or cold. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Ingredients
- 200 g unsmoked streaky bacon
- 500 g raw chicken breast
- 1 medium egg
- 125 g butternut squash
- 125 g golden beetroot
- 50 g radishes
- 1 medium apple
- 75 g spinach
- 3 single chopped spring onions
- 2 tbsp tomato paste/pure
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 1 tsp paprika (optional)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius or 160 degrees celsius if you are using a fan oven.
- Place the spinach in a sieve and add a few mugs of boiling water over it to wilt it. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible and chop up and set aside.
- Grate the butternut squash, golden beetroot, radishes and apple and place in a colander or sieve and squeeze out as much moisture as possible and set aside. Make sure you don't skimp on this step. It's important that the grated veg and fruit are as dry as possible.
- Cut the chicken pieces into large chunks and place in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients, including, the spinach and grated veg and fruit you have already prepared. Run the processor until everything is totally combined.
- Take a 2lb bread loaf and line it with the bacon.
- Place the mixture into the bacon lined bread loaf and press down so the mixture is firmly pressed into the bread loaf.
- Place the tin in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
- Once cooked, drain the juices from the tin into a jug and flip the loaf onto a tray. Place under a grill for 5 to 10 minutes until the bacon is lovely and crispy.
- Cut into slices and serve with flat green beans or a green salad. You can pour the juices you have drained over the sliced meat loaf before serving if you wish.
