Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf

Last night our friends Courtney and Dave came over for a fun little weekday double date after work. Before it got dark, we all bundled up and headed over to the forest near our house for a walk with the dogs. Despite it getting cold again, it was really nice to get out and enjoy the fresh air. The dogs loved all outdoor scents and sounds too.

When we got back, us ladies got to work making a fun (and healthy!) dinner.

The star of the show was this amazing Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf recipe that Courtney brought with her. She even had all the ingredients with her for us to make together. I never would have thought of putting quinoa in meatloaf, but it added a wonderful texture and a slightly nutty flavour.

Speaking of flavour, it tasted AMAZING. We all kept raving about it. I can definitely see this becoming a regular for us. We paired the meatloaf with Roasted Broccoli and a side salad. We all had seconds of everything.

As lovely as the meal was, it was really nice to have someone else to cook with...especially when she took over cutting the onions. No more tears for me :)
What you'll need:
1/2 cup Quinoa
1 cup Water
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 small Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 lb Ground Turkey or Chicken
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tbsp Hot Pepper Sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Egg
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Water

Bring the quinoa and water 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 is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with foil. You can also mold the meatloaf into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet if you prefer a drier loaf. We doubled up the recipe and make two loafs at the same time.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 tbsp Worcestershire, egg, salt and pepper.

Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoon Worcestershire and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl.

Press mixture into the foil lined loaf pan and rub the brown sugar paste over the top of the meatloaf. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the center is no longer pink and the temperature reads 160°F on a meat thermometer.

Let meatloaf cool for 10 minutes and then slice and serve.

This was one loaf sliced up, which went by in no time. We all went back for seconds.

We had ours with Roasted Broccoli and salad - A delicious, healthy and easy weeknight meal!

Makes 5 servings. We doubled this for the 4 of us so that there would be leftovers.

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