Turkey Lentil Veggie Meatloaf

Eating healthy on a budget takes work but can absolutely be done. One of the ways we save money is by eating meat only once or twice a week (that way we can afford higher quality meat too).

Meatloaf has always been a stretch-your-budget kind of meal but since I only buy ground turkey instead of ground beef (I’ve never really liked ground beef but since that whole pink slime thing came out I definitely don’t buy it) it can be sort of expensive.

So I came up with a way to stretch my favorite meatloaf recipe even further by adding lentils. Even my meat-loving husband likes it!

I created this recipe from a great recipe I found online years ago but I can’t find it again. If this recipe looks familiar and you know where the original recipe can be found let me know and I’ll update.

Turkey Lentil Loaf

• 3 T Olive oil
• 4 cups chopped vegetables (I typically use onion, celery, mushrooms, red or green bell peppers, and carrots depending on what I have available but I have also thrown in a bunch of random leftover veggies and it came out fine)
• 1-1.5 lb ground turkey
• 2 cups cooked lentils (I’ve used brown and red successfully)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 T ketchup
• 2 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• ½ t each of parsley, oregano, basil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup breadcrumbs

Throw the vegetables and garlic cloves into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is not quite a puree.

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add veggies and cook for 5 minutes (they will cook in the meatloaf, this is just a head start). Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

Combine veggie mixture with the rest of the ingredients (except for bread crumbs) in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Add breadcrumbs and mix until just combined. If the mixture is really wet you can add ¼ cup more breadcrumbs.

Add the meatloaf mixture to a loaf pan or an 8×8 pan (which is what I use).

Cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour or until an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Optional glaze:

Matt really loves this glaze but it’s not exactly healthy or whole food so that’s why I’m labeling it optional :). Instead of the glaze you could top the meatloaf with cheese.

3 T ketchup

1-2 T brown sugar

1 T spicy mustard

Mix all ingredients together. Coat the top of the meatloaf with the glaze when it has about 20 minutes left to cook.

What is your favorite stretch-your-dollar meal?

This post is shared at Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Wednesday Whatsits, Whimsy Wednesday