Quinoa Turkey Meatloaf

As promised, another quinoa recipe for you.  Quinoa was the ingredient of the week this week.  First we had the Quinoa Protein Bars - a little something healthy but sweet for an after school or mid morning snack.  Now we have the quinoa turkey meatloaf, a savory, hearty dinner that is easy to make.  This is especially true if you prep your quinoa on your plan and prep day and keep it stored in the fridge until you are ready to make this meatloaf.  We really liked this recipe.  The quinoa gave it a great texture and seemed to make it more filling.  Even the boy who doesn't like meatloaf and loathes turkey meatloaf declared it "not bad".  I'll take that as a win.

It is hard to make meatloaf look good!  It tastes great though.

1/4 cup quinoa   
1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon BBQ sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce       

1egg

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon water

1.   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 has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

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

4.   Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, BBQ sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf in an 8x8 baking dish. Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.

5.   Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.