RECIPE WEDNESDAY: Clean Eating Slow Cooker Meatloaf

Yesterday, I was in the mood for meatloaf and I found this great recipe on The Gracious Pantry.  The fact that it was a clean eating recipe and that I could make it in a crockpot completely made my morning.  Also, all of the ingredients are staples in our home, so it was simple to put together before heading off to work.

One thing I will mention when I made this recipe is that the outside of it did burn a little bit, I think it is because I kept it in over 10 hours (whoops!) and it was still warming when I got home.  Or, it was the fact that I only had 2 pounds of turkey, not 3, like the recipe calls for... oh well ... lesson learned for next time.  Regardless though, it was really good.

As a side to this, I made roasted sweet potatoes with 1 tsp of olive oil, rosemary, and garlic powder with salt to taste.  Then I made a nice spinach salad with fresh strawberries, nuts, and a little olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.  Yum, Yum, Yum.

(Makes 18 servings)

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds lean ground turkey
• 1 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (or 1/2 cup grated)
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 medium carrots, grated
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well using your hands to knead.
2. Lightly spray your slow cooker with a bit of olive oil and place the meat inside, molding it into a meatloaf form. (My slow cooker was a 5 quart.)
3. Press your fingers between the meat and the edge of the slow cooker to bring the meat a finger’s width away from the side of you insert. So basically, you are creating about a 1/2 inch space around the edge of the meat so that the sides of the meatloaf don’t touch the sides of the slow cooker.
4. Cook on Low for 8-10 hours. Slice into 18 pieces and serve with sweet potatoes and a vegetable for a complete, comfort food meal.