I don’t know about you but my family and I love classic comfort foods but when I became gluten free almost a year ago I thought that would mean I would have to give up many of my favorite foods. I slowly learned that I didn’t have to and started to recreate many of my favorite comfort foods. Meatloaf was high up on that list, well, Turkey Meatloaf was since we do not usually eat beef. It took some trail and error but I was able to create a Gluten Free Turkey Meatloaf and all was a little bit better in my world.
Meatloaf is one of those foods that you either love or hate. I like to think that those that hate it just have not had good meatloaf. Too many bad experiences with overcooked meatloafs, maybe it is a dislike of onion soup mix or maybe they just have texture issues. Who knows, maybe it is all in the name? Most foods that end with loaf are not my favorites unless they are type of bread. I’m just not a huge fan of congealed salads. All of the meatloaf haters out there remind me of A Christmas Story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNNpydUfduo
Whatever it may be some people outgrow their dislike or learn it wasn’t a dislike but a bad recipe. They welcome meatloaf to the world of comfort food. That is where meatloaf lives for me. I just needed to figure out the best way to make it gluten free since there is some sort of gluten/bread element in meatloaf. I grew up with my mom making meatloaf with crushed saltines and I always used bread crumbs. Then there are others that used bread soaked in milk. Gluten free bread is expensive so I went with oatmeal, yes oatmeal. Oatmeal is a bit more economical than using gluten free bread and is a great binder. With the oatmeal it mixes up beautifully and then you are left to top it your favorite way (ketchup or tomato sauce, bbq sauce or even wrapped in bacon!) and bake for about an hour and voila you have an awesome meatloaf. Just add some mashed potatoes and a veggie like corn or green beans and you have a classic comfort food dish.
So what do you think? Ready to give this simple gluten free turkey meatloaf a try?
- 2lbs Ground Turkey
- 1 cup Gluten Free Quick Oats
- 1 Egg
- 1tsp Onion Powder
- 2-4 Cloves Garlic, minced (equal to a rounded teaspoon)
- 1TB Parsley
- ½tsp Ground Thyme
- Salt and and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
- Optional- Your favorite meatloaf topping, ketchup, BBQ Sauce, Bacon etc.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In large bowl combine ground turkey,egg,oats,parsley,onion powder, ground thyme and garlic and mix well.
- Form into a loaf and place into a loaf pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. If desired top your meatloaf with your favorite meatloaf toppings
- Cover and bake for 50-60minutes.