Meatloaf is an American classic much like 1957 Chevy Bel Air or a late 1960’s Ford Mustang. It has a timeless style that appeals to any generation.
I’m probably the lone exception but meatloaf wasn’t something that my mother prepared regularly. When it was made it was always made with beef and had minced onions in it. My mother rarely used recipes so it was just put together with whatever was on hand.
Some think of meatloaf as being the quintessential diner food. And I’ve seen it on menus in diners for years but because of my intolerance of milk and the fact that most classic recipes feature milk – I have avoided them.
Through the years, I have attempted to create a variety of meatloaf recipes. Most used ground beef and either bread crumbs or oats. While there were flavorful they tended to be on the dry side and lacked the punch of flavor that I wanted. Most conventional recipes will use a small amount of milk and bread to ensure a moist meatloaf. As milk isn’t an option for me the better solution is to use Eighty-five percent ground turkey as it retains moisture in a dish in ways that we only wish beef could and is the key in this recipe for a moist and flavorful meatloaf.
I prefer to make mine in a couple of Lodge cast iron loaf pans. While they are great for bread they are even better for meatloaf. Like all cast iron pans they require a little more maintenance but keeping them well seasoned only take a few minutes after using.
In recent years, like most Americans, I have been decreasing the amount of red meat in my diet. Ground turkey substitutes well in most dishes and I use it for my Heart Healthy Breakfast Sausage. Recently I decided to try it with meatloaf. The results were the best meatloaf I have ever had. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.
Turkey meatloaf that your family will want over and over
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Ground Turkey (85 percent)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large onion minced fine
- 1/4 tsp ground thyme
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp leaf marjoram
- 2 tbl Worcester sauce
- 1 tbl soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 8 tbl ketchup
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Sweat the onion, thyme, marjoram, and garlic in a skillet over medium low heat until onions are translucent
- In a mixer combine all of the ingredients except for the 8 tbl ketchup
- Mix with a paddle attachment until all ingredients are fully incorporated
- Spray two loaf pans with canola oil
- Place mixture evenly between the two pans
- Spread 4 tbl of ketchup on top of the meatloaf mixture in each pan
- Bake at 350 degrees for one hour
- Meatloaf is done when internal temperature exceeds 160 degrees
Equipment Used
KitchenAid KSM150PSBU Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield – Cobalt Blue