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Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf

The Modern Proper
Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf recipe from "The Modern Proper"
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup Quinoa rinsed
  • 2/3 cup water or chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 each small onion finely chopped
  • 1 each carrot grated
  • 1 each red bell pepper finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 lbs ground turkey
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 each eggs
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce for topping

Instructions
 

  • Bring the quinoa and water or chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  • Heat oven to 350 F.
  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, carrot and bell pepper. Sauté until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.
  • In a large bowl, stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, cooked veggies, tomato paste, cayenne, onion and garlic powder, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, eggs, salt and pepper until well combined. The mixture will be very moise.
  • Shape into a loaf on a parchment or foil lined rimmed baking sheet.
  • Combine the brown sure and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.
  • 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.
  • Let the meatloaf cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Rinse your quinoa before boiling it. This process reduces the bitterness that can sometimes occur in cooked quinoa.
Keep your cut onions on the small side. It's true that the onions will shrink up significantly once they get cooked down, but the smaller the pieces, the better the loaf will stay together. The fact that small onion pieces are also well camouflaged from picky eaters is just an added bonus.
Two words... meal prep! Many of the ingredients used in this meatloaf can be prepped ahead of time (quinoa, carrots, onion, garlic, etcall of which will make throwing this turkey meatloaf into the oven come dinner time a breeze.)
Form you meatloaf on a rimmed baking sheet covered in foil or parchment paper because it produces a lot of liquid. If you bake the meatloaf in a loaf pan you will have to skim the fat off the surface of the loaf and the brown sugar topping won't be as successful. Trust us on this one and use the parchment.
Last but not least, use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. This step will help ensure that you are not overcooking your dinner and result in the moistest meatloaf you've ever had.