Turkey Meatloaf – 21 Day Fix Extreme Style, aka, Gluten Free!

This turkey meatloaf recipe was a hit in my house!!! We have been primarily gluten free for the past 6 months now and while neither my husband or I have a “gluten allergy” we both tend to just feel better when we avoid it! Luckily our clean eating lifestyle has made the adjustment pretty easy and why I absolutely loved this Turkey Meatloaf recipe that uses Quinoa opposed to the traditional breadcrumbs! Its simple, clean, and if you’re like me…you can easily double this up and make an extra one to freeze or enjoy throughout the week as a second dinner and/or lunches!

Turkey Meatloaf

Makes 8 servings, 1/8 meatloaf each

21 Day Fix & Fix Extreme Container equivalents: 1/2 Purple, 1 red, 1/2 yellow

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 lbs raw 93% lean ground turkey
1 cup all natural-mild salsa
1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
2 large eggs, lighly beaten
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt (Mineralize)
Ground black pepper (to taste, optional)
Fresh chopped parsley (for garnish, optional)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C)

2. Combine turkey, salsa, quinoa, eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix well by hand or with rubber spatula (I used that little gadget from Pampered Chef and it worked FABULOUS – I am not a mix by hand type of girl and this did the trick!!!)

3. Shape mixture into shape of a loaf and place on engrossed 13×9 inch baking pan (I actually used a pan that has the grates so the grease will drip down off)

4. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until center is no longer pink and meat is cooked through.

5. Let stand 10 minutes before serving

6. Garnish with parsley

TIP: Cut cooked meatloaf into single servings and freeze in single resealable plastic bags for future meals!

I really liked the consistency of the meatloaf but next time I will likely add in some chopped peppers and spinach just because I like to sneak in those greens any chance I get!

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Turkey spinach meatloaf, clean eating, gluten and dairy free meatloaf, 21-day fix

So fresh and so clean clean ❤

I’ve been trying to add some new dinners to our weekly rotation. My husband never complains but one can only eat so much grilled chicken and turkey burgers!

When I sat down to do my meal plan for the week meatloaf quickly came to mind! Meatloaf has always been one of those meals my mom would make as I was growing up, when I was home for a weekend in college or still today visiting with my family. I’ve never been able to make it quite like her but I always try!!! I took bits and pieces from things I remember her doing and this time around tweaked it to make it clean, gluten and dairy free and still taste good – sound impossible?!?! Not at all!

Best part – I had this thrown together before my oven was even preheated to 350 degrees!!!

WHAT YOU NEED:

2.5 pounds lean ground turkey
4 Egg whites
1.5-2 cups fresh salsa (I found mine at SAMs club, but most grocery stores have a fresh salsa – just check the ingredients! Mine was primarily tomatoes, peppers, jalopenos, onion and garlic therefore I didn’t feel like I needed to add any additional ingredients/seasonings.)
4 Cups fresh spinach, chopped

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

(note this can be cooked in the slow cooker or oven – see below)

OVEN OPTION:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. I started with all the meat and egg whites and kept adding the salsa and mixing until I got a consistency that looked like it would hold together. Then I folded in the chopped spinach. You can put in as much or as little as you like. I found its a great way to add in a few more veggies and it certainly looks prettier – and who doesn’t like their food to look as good as it tastes?!?! 🙂

Moving on…

I split the mixture into two loaves and put them on a double layer pan that allows any grease to drip down. I actually never use a meatloaf pan!! Plus, when I cook I almost always make enough for at least two meals. And with my grandparents visiting tomorrow I found this as the perfect opportunity to get dinner made ahead of time and be able to visit with them when they are here!

I put a small dent in the middle to make sure the center got cooked thoroughly, and baked for 30 minutes to brown the outside.

Ready for the oven!

I removed the meatloaf from the oven, covered with foil, and cooked another 30 minutes, checking to make sure they were cooked through.

One for dinner tonight – the other one for tomorrow!

I chose to serve mine with steamed kale tossed in lemon juice and a little sea salt. My hubs had his as a sandwich! Tomorrow I am planning a quinoa salad and asparagus with the leftovers.

For the 21-day fixers out there…I would just count this as one red, even though there is some greens and some purple with the salsa…your portion size will depend on how you slice it but using the container will ensure you don’t over or under do it!

CROCKPOT OPTION:

For those days when you need to put dinner in, go to work or go run errands and have it all ready when you come home:

-Simply follow the mixing instructions above.

-Lightly spray the crockpot with olive oil and place the meat inside, leaving a 1/2 – 1″ space around the ends so the meatloaf isn’t touching the sides.

-Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours – and wahhhallaaa! Serve with your favorite veggie and some sweet potatoes for a complete meal!