Look, here’s the deal….
Anybody can alter a recipe to become gluten free by substituting one of the many gluten free flours or “packaged” products on the market. I’ve been a celiac for years and I realized very early in this process that the key to my eating happiness was going to be, stay away from “fake” food and focus on creativity using “real” food. The other challenge was going to be, how to simulate some of our favorite comfort foods.
So that’s what I look for in the recipes I search out; creativity, soul enriching goodness and something my family will sit up and take notice.
This unusual turkey meatloaf recipe fits the bill. Anytime I try out a new recipe I send the alert out at home. The anticipation of new food seems stimulating to my husband and I use it to my fullest advantage. If I announce the fact that its gluten free, all systems seem to go into high alert, so I keep that on the dl.
As soon as I began, I knew I was on to something good, my husband kept walking in and out of the house….he was taking care of chores both inside and outside of the house…I had to smile because every time he walked into the house he’d proclaim, damn! it smells good in here! I guess I’m lucky to have a husband who appreciates the same (well, some of the same) pleasures of food.
As we all know the key ingredient necessary to hold a meatloaf together is usually a gluten substance of some kind….bread crumbs, bread or even oatmeal (I sometimes still use this, but always get the Trader Joe’s gluten free oatmeal). On a side note, I have made a great meatloaf using gluten free pretzels….I consider this to be on the crevice of “fake” food, but I’m not losing any sleep over it. The secret ingredient used in this recipe is….wait for it…..great northern beans. I wasn’t sure about how this was going to work out, but it was the kind of challenge i needed to tackle.
Upon eating a few bites of the unusual meatloaf recipe, my hubby said “OMG, this tastes like comfort food!”. Both he and I almost laughed our way through eating it, because it was so unusual to make, but it tasted really good. That was good enough for me. It’s officially in the rotation!
So this recipe is actually a South Beach Diet recipe (that’s our “go to” plan for those same 20 lbs we put on and take off every year and it’s pretty much gluten free). The recipe says “serves 6”, however I didn’t feel too glutenous to say “serves 4”. To keep us honest, as soon as I brought it out of the oven, I cut in fours. Two of the servings were for that nights dinner and the other two would warm up great for our lunches the next day.
Try it out and let me know what you think….
Turkey Meatloaf from the South Beach Diet (gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1 spray(s) cooking sprayto coat loaf pan
- 2 teaspoon oil, olive, extra-virgin
- 1 1/2 cup(s) onion(s)chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, blackfreshly ground
- 3/4 pounds mushroomstrimmed and chopped
- 4 clove(s) garliclarge, minced
- 1 can(s) beans, Great Northern(15-ounce), drained and rinsed
- 1 1/4 pounds turkey, lean ground
- 2 large egg(s)
- 1/2 cup(s) parsley, freshchopped
- 4 teaspoon Worcestershire saucedivided
- 2 teaspoon mustard, Dijonplus extra for serving
Instructions
- 1MAKE-AHEAD: Cooked meatloaf freezes well for up to 3 months. Cut it into individual portions before freezing and thaw in the microwave when ready to eat.
- 2Heat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly coat an 8″ by 4″ by 2 1⁄2″ metal or glass loaf pan with cooking spray.
- 3In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, thyme, cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
- 4Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and mushrooms are incorporated, about 5 minutes longer. Add beans and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool, about 5 minutes.
- 5In a large bowl, combine cooled bean mixture, turkey, eggs, parsley, and 2 teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce. Mix well with wet hands to combine. Form into a loaf and place into the prepared pan.
- 6Stir together mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce and set aside.
- 7Bake meatloaf on the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the reserved Worcestershire mixture. Return to the oven and continue baking 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until a thermometer inserted into meatloaf registers 165°F. Let meatloaf stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with additional Dijon mustard.
give this recipe a try and let me know how you like it!
Anonymous
11 September
favorite recipe
Jessica-Jean
4 December
The cutsie white spots drifting snowfake-wise across the page are irritating and make me wonder if I need to see my opthalmologist sooner than scheduled.
The recipe looks good.
Thank you.
Forever
30 April
That’s really thinking at an imsvepsire level
Ana
20 April
Hi. I have been looking for this particular version of turkey meatloaf in all my South Beach diet books and can’t find it. I’ve made it in the past and it has been a favorite but I’ve only found other variations of it. Could you tell me which book has it? Thanks!
Barbara Coleman
20 April
This recipe is in the South Beach Diet Supercharged. This recipe always ranks in our top ten posts. Still a favorite of ours, no matter what diet we’re on now.
Thanks for reading!