Turkey Taco Mini Meatloaves

I'm about four years late to the Cook Things In Muffin Tins That Aren't Muffins Or Cupcakes trend, but now that I'm here, I love it. I've already made mini frittatas and also recently (twice!) made mini meatloaves.

I got inspired by Ambitious Kitchen's recipe - I'd never thought to use quinoa (or really any non-bread item) as a binder in meatloaf. It's a double whammy of protein, too. Hers look deliciously packed full of fresh veggies, but I was serving these to kids and totally dumbed them down. My blend was ground turkey, 1/3 cup of cooked quinoa, an egg, and a whole bunch of taco spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, etc.).

I sprinkled some shredded taco cheese on top and popped them into a 350° oven. I checked them after about 15 minutes and took them out of the oven closer to 18 minutes.

Juicy meat with a lighter texture from the airy quinoa plus a cheesy baked top? These look, smell, and taste incredible.

I served them up with your run of the mill taco toppings: cool crunchy romaine (the least offensive of lettuces when you feed salad to the Under 10 set), diced avocado, grape tomatoes, and of course, more cheese.

This was a wonderful summer plate. The mini meatloaves were really hearty, but still light because of the quinoa. I could even describe them as a little flaky? They just weren't as dense as regular meatloaf and it was a welcome textural change. The spices and cheese made these a spot-on taco night hit. I've done the 'taco' version of these twice now and they keep in the fridge really well. I think my next try on these will go down a more Italian route - basil, oregano and mozzarella on top!