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Home » Recipes » Gluten free

Skinny Turkey Meatloaf

Published: Mar 14, 2014 · Modified: Dec 15, 2022 by Rose McAvoy · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

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This millet and veggie filled turkey meatloaf changed my opinion of an icon of American cuisine.

I don't think I'm a picky eater but I have never cared much for meatloaf, or as I call it loaf-of-meat. In general I find this classic American comfort food greasy, mushy, and lacking in flavor. It seems to me that most people are content to mask the unappealing textureless blob with a hearty squirt of ketchup, another staple food I can happily live without. The thing is My husband really likes loaf-of-meat. Every once and a while it feels good to surprise him with a food he is more excited about than I am. He sure was surprised when I told him I was making turkey meatloaf! When I mentioned incorporating leftover millet into the loaf a bit of doubt dampened his enthusiasm.

As it turns out, millet is terrific in turkey meatloaf (probably turkey meatballs too)! I know bread crumbs are a traditional binder and have seen dozens of recipes that up the nutrient content by swapping in oats for the crumbs. Millet is much firmer and cooked millet shouldn't go soft in a recipe like this which calls for very little added liquid - avoiding the mushy texture I associate with meatloaf.

Turkey has some great perks over ground beef, for one thing there was no greasy pool around the loaf when I pulled it out of the oven. When the moment of truth arrived Mike was amazed by how much he liked the new loaf-of-meat, frankly so was I. The combination of seasonings were robust with a heavy nod to Italian flavors. The meat itself maintained a pleasing chew rather than a cafeteria mystery-meat smoosh. Between millet's rice like texture and a healthy serving of veggies with the meat the slices were a little on the crumbly side - a whole egg in place of a one yolk would be a good solution. Either way, you can still serve up a leftover slice cold on a sandwich if that is what floats your boat.

This slightly quirky take on good old fashion meatloaf has dramatically altered my opinion of what a loaf-of-meat can be. If you too live in a house divided in its opinion of this humble meal give this turkey meatloaf recipe a try. May it bring whole new level of harmony to your family.

Skinny Turkey Meatloaf

Rose McAvoy
This lighter take on meatloaf has a meaty texture and complex flavor without the fat and calories traditionally found in this staple of American cuisine.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 25 mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Calories 151 kcal

Ingredients
  

Loaf

  • ¼ pounds zucchini grated
  • ¼ pounds red onion grated
  • 20 oz 93% lean ground turkey
  • 1 cup cooked millet see notes below
  • 2 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon no salt tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons dry Italian herb blend
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Topping

  • 2 tablespoons no salt tomato paste divided
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and have a loaf pan ready.
  • Sautée the zucchini and onion in a medium skillet until most of the moisture has evaporated and the onions begin to brown just a little. Let them cool until they can be handled with out danger of burning your fingers.
  • Place all the ingredients for loaf into a large bowl. Make sure your bowl has enough room to get your hands into the fun. Use clean hands to fold the ingredients together so everything is evenly combined. And form the meat into a loaf shaped lump and place the lump into the loaf pan.
  • In a small bowl mix together the tomato paste and Worcestershire for the topping. Spoon the topping over the meat and spread as needed to cover most of the top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
  • Let the loaf sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

This recipe assumes you will be using leftover prepared millet. To cook millet combine 1 cup of millet seeds with 2 cups of water, a teaspoon of a dried herb blend (like Italian), and ½ a teaspoon of Kosher salt. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to low and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Let the cooked millet cool for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork to serve or measure into this recipe. It should yield close to three cups of fluffed millet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 151kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 15.6gFat: 6.4gSodium: 217mgFiber: 2g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer

    March 19, 2014 at 10:30 pm

    I shared this in Pinterest! I just bought a small bag of millet and am anxious to learn how to use it. This looks fantastic and I can't wait to try!! Plus, I love Bobs Redmill...I'm from nearby their factory and love their products!!

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth

    March 17, 2014 at 6:17 pm

    Shared on Pinterest

    Reply
  3. Elizabeth

    March 17, 2014 at 6:16 pm

    Shared at Pinterest

    Reply
  4. Julie

    March 17, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    https://twitter.com/aunteegem/status/445704799862788096 tweeted 3/17

    Reply
  5. Jennifer Johnson

    March 16, 2014 at 10:40 pm

    Love new ways to make a meatloaf and you have me at millet. It's my new favorite discovery. Look forward to meeting you in Temecula . -Jenny

    Reply
    • Our Lady of Second Helpings

      March 17, 2014 at 7:06 pm

      Me too! See you soon Jennifer.

      Reply
  6. Amy O.

    March 16, 2014 at 2:58 pm

    I shared on g+
    https://plus.google.com/104432205639952284017/posts/CaDzyDVCqTw

    Reply
  7. Amy O.

    March 16, 2014 at 2:57 pm

    I tweeted: https://twitter.com/GoForARunNow/status/445317871933997056

    Reply
  8. Amy O.

    March 16, 2014 at 2:56 pm

    I pinned it: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/437552920019283926/

    Reply
  9. Melissa

    March 14, 2014 at 9:04 pm

    tweeted: https://twitter.com/justtellmewhen/status/444685393024151552

    Reply

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