Buffalo Quinoa Meatloaf with Vegetables

Ingredients

• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup quinoa
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
• 1 small sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, chopped
• 1 cup chopped kale, or more to taste
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped, or more to taste
• 1 pound ground buffalo meat
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon ketchup, or more to taste
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pinch dried oregano, or more to taste
• 1 pinch dried basil, or more to taste
• 1 pinch dried thyme, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce, or to taste

Ingredient Image

Step 1

Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan so nothing sticks. In a saucepan, bring the water and quinoa to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low, cover it up, and let it simmer until the quinoa is tender and all the water has been absorbed—this usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 2

While the quinoa cooks, warm some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, sweet potato, kale, and red bell pepper, and sauté everything until the veggies are nice and tender, which should take around 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3

In a large bowl, mix together the buffalo meat, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, ketchup, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and thyme. Stir in the cooked veggies and quinoa until everything is evenly combined. Press this mixture into your prepared loaf pan and spread a thin layer of barbecue sauce on top for some extra flavor.

Step 4

Pop the loaf into the oven and bake for about an hour, or until the center is no longer pink. To be sure it’s cooked through, use a meat thermometer—the inside should reach at least 160°F (70°C). Let it cool a bit before slicing and serving.