Whole-Grain Greek Meatloaf

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Total: 2 hr
  • Prep: 10 min
  • Inactive: 1 hr
  • Cook: 50 min
This Mediterranean-inspired meatloaf uses spices and a toasted onion paste to add tons of flavor. And it's high in fiber, thanks to the bulgur-wheat kernels that have been parboiled, dried and cracked.
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Ingredients

1 cup bulgur wheat

1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch chunks

2 medium plum tomatoes, chopped

1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

2 medium yellow onions, ends removed, peeled and quartered

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 pound 85-percent lean ground beef

1 large egg

1/4 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

1/4 cup pine nuts, optional

Nonfat Greek yogurt, for serving

Directions

  1. Put the bulgur in a small bowl, cover with hot water and soak until softened, about 1 hour. Strain and set aside.
  2. Toss the cucumbers, tomatoes, half the mint, 1 tablespoon of the oil, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan lightly with cooking spray and set aside.
  4. Pulse the onions into a paste in a food processor, scraping down the bowl as needed. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion paste and any onion juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste begins to brown (it will still be light), about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, cinnamon, allspice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper and continue cooking until the onion-spice paste starts to look dry and is fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes.
  5. Add the onion-spice paste, bulgur, ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, remaining chopped mint, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper to a large mixing bowl and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan; sprinkle with the pine nuts if using and press in. Bake until the meatloaf begins to pull away from the sides, is browned on top and registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 30 to 35 minutes. Slice the meatloaf into 1-inch-thick slices and serve hot with the cucumber-tomato salad and dollops of Greek yogurt alongside.

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Elizabeth M.

Excellent recipe. It brought back memories of a bulgur wheat-ground meat casserole my mom used to make on special occasions. <br />The flavors of the onions and spices meld to perfection in this meatloaf. The only thing I would change is adding a bit of water, broth, or tomato sauce to the mix because even though the bulgur wheat is soaked in water for an hour, it dries up during baking time and the texture can feel somewhat coarse. Other than that it is great. This will be my go to meatloaf recipe from now on. It can be served with any sauce of your liking on the side. <br />Thanks for sharing!

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