Smokey Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf

I didn't have a plan for dinner one night but knew I had some ground turkey in the fridge. I searched recipes online and came across one for a meatloaf with quinoa. I tweaked the recipe to add a bit more fat for moisture and flavor, and made it like a bbq bacon burger. My family loved it! Bonus, it's super healthy and full of protein.

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 tsp olive oil
small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 slices of bacon, chopped
2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp barbecue sauce
few dashes hot pepper sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low, cover, and simmer until water has been absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bacon. Cook until bacon is cooked and onion is softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

In a large bowl combine the turkey, quinoa, onion/bacon/garlic, and rest of ingredients. Stir until well combined. Put into a greased loaf pan.

Bake until cooked through, 60-80 minutes.

(**To make as a freezer meal, you can either cook beforehand or freeze raw. Thaw and either bake to reheat or bake as directed above.)