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Deliciously Healthy Meatloaf

If ever there was a comfort food that takes you back to all those good feelings that come with a home-cooked meal prepared by your mom, it is probably meatloaf. But as time goes on, as much as we love meatloaf, it is pretty high in saturated fats and cholesterol, and may not fit our desire for healthier eating. Here is a fabulous recipe from the book, The Dude Diet, by Serena Wolf. The best thing is that not only is this easy, and low cost, everyone loves it, even the kids!

Calories 400 kcal

Ingredients

Meatloaf:

  • 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tbls extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ medium yellow onion minced
  • ½ red bell pepper seeded and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbls tomato paste
  • 1 pound lean ground beef 90% lean, preferably grass fed
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey 93%, as 99% will be too dry
  • 2 tbls Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1.5 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • ¾ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten

Glaze:

  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1.5 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 3 tbls warm water

Instructions

  1. Combine the quinoa and chicken broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover the saucepan with a lid, and cook for 14 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Let the quinoa rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil unless you are using a meatloaf pan with drainage.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until very soft but not browned. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then transfer the veggie mixture to a large mixing bowl. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.
  4. While the veggies are cooling, whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze. Set the glaze aside.
  5. Add the beef, turkey, cooked quinoa, Worcestershire, salt, red pepper flakes, yogurt, and eggs to the mixing bowl with the veggies. Using your hands, mix everything together just until combined..)
  6. Dump the meat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. (It will be very soft and pretty wet. Don’t panic.) Mold the meat with your hands into a roughly 9 × 5-inch rectangular loaf. Alternatively, load the meat mixture into your favorite meatloaf pan. Spread half of the glaze evenly on top (I use a silicon basting brush).
  7. Bake for 45 minutes, add the remaining glaze, and bake for 15 minutes more (1 hour total) or until the meat loaf is cooked through. Let the loaf rest for a full 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. (You’ll notice that the meat loaf has oozed some thick, slimy-looking juice onto the foil. Sorry, but this is unavoidable. Just use a spoon to scoop that stuff into the trash and forget about it.) 8. Slice your meat loaf into thick pieces and serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Wine and Beer Pairing:

Wine pairing recommendations include: A Cabernet Sauvignon is rich with fruit and structure and a Cabernet Franc adds a little earthy spice and the Merlot rounds it all out (these grapes all come from the same region). This combination kind of matches the flavors in the dish, which makes for highly satisfying sipping. Cabernet Franc, with its rich dark, ripe fruit and black pepper nuance would also work nicely with the meatloaf. Additionally, due to the variety of meats and other ingredients used, you just can’t go wrong with Zinfandel. Zinfandel is one of the most meat-friendly wines out there. And no matter what the meat, whether beef or pork or sausage, Zinfandel will combine quite well. And lastly, you might consider a Cotes du Rhone, or a Pellaverga with this recipe or if you like a lighter styled red, and are feeling Italian, Dolcetto makes for a great pairing. Dolcetto has a sweet tannin, and acidic splash to it that makes it a great pair with a meatloaf with any sort of tomato sauce accompaniment.

As far as beer pairings, you might consider a Pale Ale, IPA, or an Irish Red Cost: The cost of this side is typically $2-3 depending on whether your sources for the ground turkey and beef (e.g., grass fed).

 

Time and Effort:

This recipe doesn’t take too much time or effort and you end up with two pans and a baking sheet to wash in the end.

 

Alex Approved:

This was served on a bed of cauliflower puree and presented as meatloaf and mashed potatoes. It was consumed with delight. When asked if it was ‘Alex Approved’, he replied, “spicy is not my favorite, but this has just enough to still be delicious”.

 

Leftovers:

Meatloaf is always great as a leftover for lunch, in sandwiches or for another full dinner plate.

 

Health:

As the title says, this is a healthy meatloaf. That said, this recipe is pretty low in saturated fats, but if you are on a heart healthy regimented diet, it may consume your daily allowance for dietary cholesterol. Sodium and sugars are pretty low as well.