Healthy Eating: Turkey Meatloaf

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Turkey meatloaf.I am not a beef eater. I don’t eat steak. I eat a hamburger maybe twice a year at most, and it is almost always at a summer barbecue. Beef stews, soups, or other beef dishes are extremely unappealing to me. So it comes as a big surprise that I LOVE meatloaf.  

My mom has been making homemade meatloaf for as long as I can remember. It is one of those rare dishes from my childhood that I still love to eat today. Of course, being the health nut that I am, I rarely indulge in it until now.

Enter Turkey Meatloaf, the healthy alternative! 

My first encounter with Turkey Meatloaf was at Milillo Farms in Ridgefield. Milillo’s makes some great ready-to-eat meals for those nights when you don’t have time or don’t feel like cooking. I had stopped in one night to pick up dinner and was thrilled to find a turkey meatloaf in the ready-to-eat section.  

I had heard of turkey meatloaf but had never actually tried it. It was delicious! I then scoured the internet for the best (and easiest) recipe to make at home. And to my joy, I found one my husband loves, and I’ve adapted it over the years.  

This recipe below has become a staple in our house. We make it at least twice a month, sometimes more, and have recently discovered that our daughter also loves it. We even made it for Christmas Eve dinner and received many compliments from all ten guests (The guests were family, so we know they weren’t just being polite). Overall it’s been a huge success in our house!

Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 small onion, minced
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1.3 lb 99% lean ground turkey
  • 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I use 4 cups whole wheat)
  • One egg
  • salt to taste (I leave this out)

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Saute the olive oil and onion on low until translucent, then remove from heat. Mix turkey, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, ketchup, and salt in a medium bowl. Put the mixture in a loaf pan or shape it into a loaf and place it on a baking pan. Spoon the sauce on top.
  • Bake uncovered for 55-60 minutes, remove it from the oven and let it sit for five minutes before slicing. The bake time may vary depending on your oven. I always bake mine for 54 minutes, and it comes out perfect.

Do you have a favorite Turkey Meatloaf recipe? Please share!

2 COMMENTS

  1. My family loves turkey meatloaf, too. Jessica Seinfeld has a great recipe that incorporates pureed carrots and cauliflower. It’s a much more complicated recipe so I like how yours is so simple. Can’t wait to try it!

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