Turkey Quinoa Loaf

Turkey Quinoa Loaf

I love meatloaf, no, not Meatloaf, the singer/actor – although some of his stuff is cool – the comfort food of my childhood. My favorite “I’m not watching my calories” meatloaf is made with ground beef and pork and topped with bacon. Yeah, I know, my mouth is watering too. Considering I don’t have my teenage metabolism anymore, I made a few tweaks to a healthier recipe I found. The original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and a glaze made with brown sugar. It sounds great, but I wanted to cut down on the sugar a bit. 

My pantry wasn’t stocked with one of those nifty tomato paste tubes – they are so amazing – and not wanting a whole can of paste to go to waste, I use ketchup.  Really a glaze on meatloaf is bit overkill for a weeknight dinner and I just skipped it all together. I work with five of the most honest “food critics” in the area, also known as firefighters. If dinner isn’t up to their standards, I hear about for the rest of the night. This dish though, everyone loved it.

Now, a few of you may have never have never heard of or eaten quinoa, it really is amazing – don’t be afraid of the unknown! Wikipedia gives this definition: “quinoa is a grain-like crop that is high in protein and gluten-free.” I’ve found it is really quite versatile. Look for more recipes featuring it soon.  You can usually find it at any grocery store with the other grains.

I like the quinoa in this recipe because it adds nutritional value and a nutty flavor that works really well with turkey.  Please give it a try before you turn up your nose….

Serves 6 firefighters

Ingredients;

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (20 ounce) packages ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 egg
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Bring the quinoa and the water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let it simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed. Should take about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until the onion has softened and turned translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat to cool.

4. Stir the ground turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, ketchup, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire, both eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf and place on a foil lined baking sheet.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.