My husband (Erin’s) has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for Hodgekin’s Lymphoma. He’s actually doing really well on the treatments so far and has only had minor side-effects, thank God! I pray it continues to go so smoothly. Since he was diagnosed, our family and friends have been amazing and have helped us in so many ways, including filling our freezer with meals. You wouldn’t think home-cooked meals would be that big a deal but, let me tell you, there are days when opening the freezer and choosing a meal to heat up the next day saves a lot of stress and energy. Especially on days he has chemo, it’s nice to be able to come home and heat up a good supper.
Do you ever send meals to family and friends who are ill or having surgery? If so, what do you usually make? I have several go-to recipes to use in these situations but one of my favorites is these Pizza Mini Meatloaves. For starters, they are a recipe everyone will like… what’s not to love about pizza?! They are also the perfect freezer meal because you can freeze them individually rather than in one big pan, like a casserole. The good thing about freezing them individually is that a person can choose to thaw and reheat them all or just a few at a time. Great for lunch for one person or for a family meal! When I make these at home, they rarely make it to the freezer though. My family gobbles them up! -Erin
Ingredients
- 1 lb. turkey sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed (I used Honeysuckle White.)
- 1 lb. 99% fat-free ground turkey breast
- 1 c. finely chopped bell peppers – about 2 small peppers (I use my food processor.)
- ½ c. finely chopped onion
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning blend
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp to 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 beaten egg
- ¾ c. seasoned bread crumbs (I use Progresso Garlic & Herb.)
- ¾ c. jarred pizza sauce (plus more for serving, if desired)
- 1 c. shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 12 pepperoni slices (I use Hormel.)
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-tin muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- Combine turkey sausage, ground turkey breast, bell peppers, onion, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt and beaten egg until well incorporated.
- Stir in seasoned bread crumbs until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture.
- Fill the muffin tins with the mixture, dispersing it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top each with 1 Tablespoon pizza sauce.
- Sprinkle the mini meatloaves evenly with shredded cheese and top each one with a slice of pepperoni.
- Return to the oven and continue to cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and the internal temperature is 165°F with a meat thermometer.
- To freeze individually, remove them from the muffin tin and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Freeze for several hours. Wrap each frozen mini meatloaf in plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer baggie or storage container before returning them to the freezer.
Notes
WW Freestyle info: This makes 12 servings. One serving is 4 SmartPoints. Two servings is 9 SmartPoints with regular pepperoni or 8 SmartPoints with turkey pepperoni.