Have you seen all the Benefits of Lentils that I posted earlier in the week? They are pretty great, and these Turkey and Lentil Meatloaf Muffins are full of them! Lentils stretch the meat in this dish, making it less expensive per serving as well as healthier – they are also chock-full of veggies!
Turkey Lentil Meatloaf Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Turkey
- 1 1/2 cup cooked lentils
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1/2 cup milled flax seed
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 4 tbsp Lite Western Dressing
- Heat oil on skillet and cook onions, carrots, and celery until they start to soften
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, with the exception of the Western Dressing although it wouldn’t be a bad idea to add some to the mix.
- Evenly distribute into sprayed muffin pan, making 12 muffins
- Place a small amount of Lite Western Dressing on the top of each muffin
- Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees
Start by chopping your onion, carrot, and celery. I usually do some double-duty and cut up some snack-size pieces for lunches while I have everything out.
Dice everything to about the same size and cook with olive oil until the veggies start to soften. The only seasoning I did with these muffins, was a little salt and pepper while I sautéed the veggies. Place aside to cool a bit while mixing the other ingredients.
In a large bowl mix turkey, lentils, flax, oats, and veggies.
I saved the western dressing for the top of the muffins, but it would taste great with a little added to the mix.
Spay your muffing pan and distribute the mixture evenly into 12 muffins. Top each muffin with a bit of Lite Western Dressing.
They were so good, I don’t think I’ll ever make meatloaf without the lentils again. It was such a great and tasty way to stretch the meat in the dish and add some extra nutritional benefits.
I ended up eating one and a half muffins when I made these (I had to share some with the kiddos) but they are such a great size and really filling. One is easily enough for a filling, small meal and two are great even for my Hubby with the huge appetite.
Do you cook with lentils? Do you use them to stretch out the protein in a meal, or do you primarily make vegetarian dishes with them? If you have any go-to lentil recipes, I’d love to hear them! You can also link them up at Tips and Tricks Tuesday!
These look yummy! I shared them on our Twitter feed: @momsandkeyboard
I make something similar but never thought to put lentils in. Awesome idea!
Mmmm, these sound so good! And they are healthy too! Hope you have a good day.
Heidi’s Wanderings
Duuuude. These look AMAZING! I just HAD to pin this post so I can remember to make them later. (I actually go to my pinterest recipe board every week when I’m planning my meals so I can make stuff from it!) This was such a genius idea! Thanks for sharing it 😀
This looks so savory and good! I love the ideas of having individual servings! So glad to see you at the DIY Showcase Link Party. I have pinned, liked and tweeted, and g+-ed. I would love it if you would drop by my site at http://www.kneadedcreations.com for a short visit! I will look forward to seeing you there! Deb @ Kneaded Creations.
I love making meatloaf in muffin cups. With it just being my husband and I, if I make a big meatloaf we have so much leftover so I always make it in the muffin pan and then individually wrap each one and freeze them. Thanks so much for sharing on our Wonderful Wednesday Link Party!
Hi Kristin! I’m looking for healthy, delicious recipes and this one looks like a keeper! Thanks so much for linking up to Thriving on Thursdays. I’m featuring this one at tomorrow’s party.
Anne xx
I finally made these! I used ground chicken instead of turkey, chia seeds instead of milled flax seed, and French yogurt dressing instead of western (I haven’t had western before, so I stuck with what I knew). I loooooved them! And they were only about 150 calories a pop! I think next time I’ll try mixing the dressing in some…but there will definitely be a next time! Thanks for sharing this new “regular” in my recipe repertoire!