Turkey Meatloaf with Goat Cheese & Sun-dried Tomatoes

When looking for healthy and flavorful recipes, I stumbled upon a recipe on Pinterest called Skinny Giada's Turkey/Chicken Goat Cheese Meatloaf .  I clicked on the pin, and was taken to a wonderful blog called What Runs Lori.  I loved the way the author wrote, and I loved even more the way she altered the original recipe (by Giada from the Food Network), and making it even healthier and tastier. It turned out fabulous.  It was actually this exact recipe that convinced me that I could diet and still eat well.  I've changed a few small things about the recipe, but nothing major.  

TURKEY MEATLOAF WITH GOAT CHEESE & SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Makes 8 Servings

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground turkey

12 oz ground chicken

2/3 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1 cup zucchini, shredded

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp dried parsley

2 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried basil

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp red pepper flakes
2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray two 9 x 5 loaf pans with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the seasonings, oats, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, eggs, and garlic.  Stir until completely combined.

3. Add in the chicken and turkey and mix until just combined. Don't over-stir; it will cause the meat to dry out and toughen.

4. Add in the goat cheese, and gently combine so that the goat cheese remains in crumbled form, but is evenly dispersed in the mixture.

5. Pack the meat mixture into the loaf pans and bake until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees; about 50-60 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Per Serving:

Calories: 294

Carbs: 11 grams

Fat: 16 grams

Protein: 33 grams

Tips: 

If you want to half it, you can make it with just 1 pound of turkey, omitting the chicken all together, and then half the rest of the ingredients.  

If, however,  you are like me and love the idea of making in bulk, put half the uncooked meat mixture into a disposable meatloaf pan and freeze for a later day. Meatloaf freezes beautifully!

I've only made this in the summer during prime zucchini season, but I know that they have a habit of getting watery during the off season. So if you make it during the winter, I recommend patting the shredded zucchini dry with paper towels before adding them to your recipe.