Grease and line the base and long sides of a 10 x 21cm loaf tin (base measurement) with a sheet of baking paper. Preheat oven to 180C.
Place quinoa in a small saucepan with 1 cup water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes until water has evaporated. Allow to cool.
Grate zucchini and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place in a sieve set over a bowl and leave to drain for 10 minutes. Squeeze zucchini firmly to extract liquid.
Place beef mince, zucchini, carrot, cooked quinoa, paprika, garlic, egg and half the cheese in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well until combined.
Place mixture in loaf tin and smooth the top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 1 hour or until juices run clear or a thermometer reads 71C. Allow to cool for 20 minutes, pour off juices and place meatloaf on a cooling rack set over a tray to cool. Slice and serve.
Tips
Greek meatloaf- swap the smoky cheddar and paprika for feta or haloumi cheese and thyme, dill or oregano. Serve with a Greek salad of olives, tomato, capsicum, cucumber and feta.
Use different vegetables, such as leftover diced roast vegetables, mashed pumpkin or sweet potato.
Try adding different flavourings such as a little soy and sesame oil with some grated ginger for a Chinese feel.
Mix the mince with the other ingredients really well to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed. The mixing also helps the meatloaf to hold together after it's cooked.
Allow the meatloaf to cool for a little longer to help it keep it's shape when you slice it. It can be a little fragile when it's straight out of the oven.
You can make a gravy out of the meat juices from the meatloaf. Simply add to a medium frying pan with a tablespoon of flour and cook slowly for about 5 minutes until thickened and the flour is cooked. Add a little red wine vinegar or lemon juice to balance the flavour and season to taste.
Try cooked rice instead of quinoa.
If preparing the day before, you can cool the meatloaf in the tin after draining the juices. Cover and cool in the refrigerator overnight.
