Turkey Meatloaf

This turkey meatloaf is a take on traditional comfort food, but made healthier with just a few substitutions.

Not gonna lie, I’m a little sick of meatloaf. I made this recipe four times before I was 100% happy with how it turned out. I apologized to Zack the night I was making it for a fourth time and he said to me “I don’t care! I love it!” So, this meatloaf is Zack approved, even after I made him eat it over and over and over.

When I hear “comfort food,” I immediately think of mac and cheese, lasagna, fried chicken, and, of course, meatloaf and mashed potatoes! We didn’t have meatloaf very often when I was a kid, but as I started cooking for myself, I found that it’s one of my favorite comfort foods to make.

Like anything, when I find a food I love, I attempt to make it healthier. This recipe calls for ground turkey instead of beef, oats instead of breadcrumbs, and a homemade sauce instead of ketchup and brown sugar. The sauce tastes almost exactly like barbecue–so there’s no excuse to buy barbecue sauce at the store, which is usually full of all kinds of sugars and additives.

Plus, you add chopped spinach and grated carrots to the meatloaf, making it even healthier for you. I try to sneak veggies into meals as often as I can!

I usually serve this with mashed potatoes (made with ghee and chicken broth) and a vegetable. It’s a filling dinner and we always have leftovers for my lunch throughout the week!

Turkey Meatloaf

From The Small Town Foodie at https://www.thesmalltownfoodie.com/turkey-meatloaf/

https://www.thesmalltownfoodie.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Turkey-Meatloaf-4small.png

Prep: 10m

Cook: 1h

Total: 1h 10m

This turkey meatloaf is a take on traditional comfort food, but made healthier with just a few substitutions.

You'll Need...

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 egg, whisked
• ½ cup quick oats
• ½ cup grated carrots (about 1 whole carrot)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped spinach (about 1 cup spinach leaves)
• ¼ cup diced onion (about ¼ medium onion)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ¾ cup tomato sauce, divided into ½ cup and ¼ cup
• ½ cup milk of choice (I usually use almond or cashew)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a loaf pan with olive oil.
2. Add turkey, egg, oats, carrots, spinach, onion, garlic, ½ cup tomato sauce, milk, salt, and pepper to a bowl and mix well until all ingredients are combined.
3. Add mixture to loaf pan and pack down with spoon.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. While meatloaf is cooking, make sauce for on top by mixing remaining ¼ cup tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup.
6. After 45 minutes, remove meatloaf from oven, drain any grease that may be along the edges, and pour sauce on top, spreading evenly.
7. Bake another 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into middle of meatloaf reaches 165°F.
8. Remove from oven, let sit for at least 15 minutes, then remove from pan and slice.

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