Step 1: Prep Your Situation Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Don’t use a loaf pan — we want air circulation for the perfect crust. Trust the process.

Step 2: Make the Panade In a large bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs and milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk and get all mushy. This is called a panade, and it’s the secret to keeping your meatloaf from turning into a hockey puck.

Step 3: Build Your Flavor Base Add the egg, diced onion, minced garlic, parmesan, parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the breadcrumb mixture. Mix it all together until well combined.

Step 4: The Secret Weapons Here’s where the magic happens. Add the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, and olive oil to the mixture. I know it sounds weird, but these ingredients are what keep the chicken moist and add incredible richness. Mix everything together until smooth.

Step 5: Gentle Meat Mixing Add the ground chicken to the bowl and gently mix with your hands until just combined. Don’t overmix — this is the fastest way to tough meatloaf. You want everything incorporated but not worked to death.

Step 6: Shape and Bake Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking sheet and shape it into a loaf about 9 inches long and 5 inches wide. Make sure it’s evenly shaped so it cooks uniformly. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Step 7: Glaze Time While the meatloaf is baking, mix together melted butter, minced garlic, parmesan, parsley, and Italian seasoning for the glaze. When the meatloaf is done, brush this mixture all over the top and sides. Return to the oven for 5 more minutes until the glaze is golden.

Step 8: Rest and Slice Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This prevents it from falling apart and lets the juices redistribute. Slice into thick pieces and serve with extra parmesan and fresh parsley.