So the first thing that pops into my head as I start this long, long, long overdue post is, do I say “meat loafs” or “meat loaves”. Well, I know that proper grammar, is meat loaves, but I don’t like the way it sounds, so I am going with just plan old meat loaf, you will have to infer from the picture that there is more than one “loaf” involved.
My three, okay two, faithful readers may have wondered where I went over the past few months, and the answer is simply this, re-learning cooking habits. About six months ago, I decided I needed to clean up my diet in the hopes of losing some weight. Although it took longer than I hoped for my metabolism to respond, the weight finally started to come off and I am happy to report that I am now 20 pounds lighter and at my goal weight.
The changes I made were to eliminate as much white flour, white sugar, un-necessary carbs and processed food as possible. Note, that I said as much as possible, because there are still times I find that there a small addition is necessary for the best results
This recipe is one that I have made several times and have just finally recorded it so that I could share it with you. The great thing about these meat “loaves” is that they are full of vegetables that keep it moist and full of flavor, plus they are perfect for packing into your lunch the next day.
Mini Turkey & Vegetable Meatloaves
- 1 lb. lean (93/7) ground turkey
- 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
- 1 small zucchini, peeled & shredded (approximately 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup fine whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Topping
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tblsp. dijon mustard
- Sriracha sauce to taste
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease non-stick jumbo muffin pan & set aside.
Combine all ingredients in large bowl and work together with your hands until thoroughly combined. Divide mixture between 6 jumbo muffin cups or you can use a regular cupcake/muffin tin if you prefer, just reduce the cooking time to accomodate. Cook for 25 minutes.
Prepare topping by whisking ketchup & dijon mustard together until smooth. Add Sriracha sauce to taste, I usually add about 1/2 tsp.
Remove from oven and spread each loaf with topping. Increase heat to 425° and continue cooking for another 10 minutes until topping is slightly browned and loaves are cooked through.
