This Farmer's Market Meatloaf is loaded with so many fresh veggies it tastes like it's straight from the Farmer's Market! With a combination of ground turkey and ground beef, lots of fresh vegetables, and warm spices, this gluten free meatloaf recipe is packed with amazing flavor!
This post has been updated since it was originally posted in January 2016.
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The Secret to Moist Meatloaf
I'm gonna let you know up front this isn’t your mom's meatloaf, friends. Well, at least it’s not my mom’s meatloaf. As much as I adore her, her meatloaf was not her best recipe. Many times it was dry and not so tasty.
I decided to go to work and make moist meatloaf possible. And that's what I did.
This recipe is full of ground turkey and ground beef, milk, eggs, ketchup, and tons of veggies like onions, carrots, celery, sweet peppers, and garlic. And it has a variety of spices like cumin, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
These ingredients don't just add flavor and texture but, they help make the meatloaf super juicy.
I know many meatloaf recipes have a sauce or glaze over the top. But because this recipe has all those veggies and spices it completely stands alone - it's tender from the veggies and full of flavor from the spices.
So, no sauce is required!
But if sauce or ketchup is a must - I understand. Please make it your own my friend.
Healthy Gluten-Free Meatloaf!
I like to think of healthy eating as more of a lifestyle and less of a diet. Basically, I try to cut as much processed food out of my diet as possible, and I focus on eating lean protein and vegetables most of the time.
Then when it’s time for celebrations or holidays I allow myself to indulge a bit 'cause I figure I can afford to.
I’ve made this meatloaf a hundred times and played around with the recipe to make it low-carb and gluten-free and honestly, it’s always amazing.
Sometimes I use just ground chicken or a combination of ground chicken and turkey, and this time around/my all-time favorite is ground turkey and ground beef.
I also use almond meal or gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of regular breadcrumbs to make it gluten-free.
The one thing I don’t mess with is the veggies! Always, always add in the veggies. This makes the meatloaf super-moist, and healthy and adds some nice sweet and savory taste.
You could even say it's a well-rounded meal all by itself... well, maybe not.
But if you served it with some garlic green beans and smashed potatoes it most certainly would be a balanced gluten free dinner.
How to Make Meatloaf
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet, and add the onion, scallions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring often, for about 8 minutes. Then add the garlic and peppers and cook for another 7 minutes. Set the cooked veggies aside in a bowl and allow them to cool until they can be handled.
Combine all dry seasonings with the eggs in a mixing bowl, and beat well.
Add the ketchup and milk, then blend thoroughly.
Add the ground beef, ground turkey, and almond meal (or gluten-free breadcrumbs) to the egg mixture. Ensure that the vegetables are sufficiently cooled, then add them and mix thoroughly.
Place the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with damp hands, and form the mixture into a rectangle approximately 17 x 6 ½ x 1 ½ inches (resembling a long, wide loaf of bread).
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer (inserted in the middle) reads 165 degrees. Allow the meatloaf to rest before slicing and serving.
Since this recipe has 3 lbs of ground meat and many other ingredients it makes quite a bit of meatloaf.
And as you can imagine this makes it hard to contain all of it in a traditional loaf pan. So using a baking sheet and shaping it yourself is the best way to cook it.
And bonus - it cooks much faster this way. It's cooked and ready to enjoy in 45 minutes or less.
You'll have this Farmer's Market Meatloaf on the table before you can make a salad and clean up the mess. It’s truly a beautiful thing.
Can You Freeze Meatloaf
The answer is YES - you can freeze meatloaf! Just wrap it in plastic wrap in either individual slices or one large piece and place it in a sealed freezer bag or sealed container.
This will depend on if you want to be able to enjoy a slice or two for lunch now and then or if you want to save it for an easy weeknight dinner.
This gluten free meatloaf is perfect for leftovers during the week, meatloaf sandwiches for lunch, or even freezing for another time.
There's so much to love about this hearty yumminess!
Other Gluten Free Easy Weeknight Dinners:
- Baked Chicken Parmesan (Low Carb & Gluten Free)
- Chicken Florentine Skillet
- Low Carb Chicken Mushroom Soup
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole with Broccoli and Swiss Cheese
- Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Low-carb Ranch Chicken Broccoli Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
Farmer's Market Meatloaf (Gluten Free Meatloaf)
Super-moist meatloaf packed with veggies & flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- ¾ cup finely chopped scallions, including the green
- 3 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
- 2 red or orange bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 eggs, well-beaten
- ⅓ cup Simply Heinz Ketchup, (contains no partially hydrogenated oil or high fructose corn syrup)
- ½ cup almond milk (or dairy milk)
- 2 pounds lean ground beef chuck
- 1 pound lean ground turkey sausage
- ¾ cup gluten free bread crumbs or almond meal
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet, and add the onion, scallions, carrots, celery. Cook, stirring often, for about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and peppers and cook for another 7 minutes. Set aside the veggies in a bowl and allow to cool until they can be handled.
- Combine all dry seasonings with the eggs in a mixing bowl, and beat well. Add the ketchup and milk, then blend thoroughly.
- Add the beef, turkey, and gluten free bread crumbs (or almond meal) to the egg mixture. Ensure that the vegetables are sufficiently cooled, then add them and mix thoroughly.
- Place the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with damp hands, form the mixture into a rectangle approximately 17 x 6 ½ x 1 ½ inches (resembling a long wide loaf of bread).
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the middle reads 165 degrees. Allow the meatloaf to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
For an alternative to gluten-free breadcrumbs, swap them out for almond meal. It turns out equally delicious both ways.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
4 ouncesAmount Per Serving Calories 243Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 108mgSodium 614mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 28g
Angela Berntson
WOW! Love, love this recipe. Made it to the letter and it's HUGE. We got 2 loaves and several small patties that my hubba hubba pairs with the eggs he takes to work each day outta' the deal. Yay for cooking ahead. Love all the veggies, yes very moist, will try for burgers and balls to add to other dishes. THANKS Miss Holl!
holly
Hi Angela, you're welcome! I love this meatloaf recipe and I'm thrilled to hear you do too! It does make a ton. I like your idea of turning it into 2 loaves and patties. I'm gonna try that next time. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience!
Julie
To quote "A Christmas Story": "Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf."
Just kidding though because this recipe looks amazing!
Monica
This looks amazing! It may be healthy but what flavors!!!! Love your site.
holly
Healthiness aside, it truly is my favorite meatloaf - so moist and flavorful! Thanks Monica!?