Vegetable-Loaded Buffalo Quinoa Loaf

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

Step 1

Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan so nothing sticks. In a saucepan, bring some water and quinoa to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover it up and let it cook until the quinoa is fluffy and the water is gone—about 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 2

While that’s cooking, warm some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Toss in the onion, sweet potato, kale, and red bell pepper, stirring occasionally until everything softens nicely, which should take around 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3

In a big bowl, mix together the buffalo meat, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, ketchup, and all the herbs and seasonings like salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and thyme. Once your veggies and quinoa are ready, add them to the meat mixture and stir everything until well combined.

Step 4

Spoon the mixture into your prepared loaf pan and spread a thin layer of barbecue sauce on top for a little extra flavor. Pop it in the oven and bake until the center isn’t pink anymore—this usually takes about an hour. If you have a meat thermometer, aim for 160°F (70°C) in the middle to be sure it’s cooked through. Let it rest a bit before slicing and serving!