Turkey Meatloaf Italiano

I make a number of recipes that feature ground turkey so I jumped at the chance to stock my freezer when I was able to purchase 40 pounds for a really low price.  Asian Sloppy Joes, Turkey and Vegetable Meatloaf, Keto Turkey Meatballs, and Hearty Italian Wedding Soup were already in my recipe rotation, and now I can add this Turkey Meatloaf Italiano to the mix.  Here's how it's made.

This recipe is very easy to make - just place all the meatloaf ingredients in a bowl and mix them together thoroughly.

I like to line a quarter sheet pan (9x13x1) with foil for easy clean up.  Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape, place it on the pan, and pop it into a preheated oven for about 50 minutes.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and top with 1/2 cup of marinara (try my super easy and super delicious recipe here).

Top the marinara with 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Now don't scoff - dried parsley is highly underrated.  

Sprinkle some of that dried parsley over the cheese (I like to crush it in the palm of my hand before sprinkling).

Bake into the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.  Rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• quarter sheet pan https://amzn.to/34nuzet

• quarter sheet pan silpat liner https://amzn.to/2ARIoCl

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KETO TURKEY MEATLOAF ITALIANO

makes 8 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Meatloaf:

• 1/2 cup marinara sauce (try my quick recipe)

• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (use the good stuff!)

• 2 large eggs

• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 2 pounds ground turkey

Topping:

• 1/2 cup marinara sauce

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, crushed in the palm of your hand

Directions

1. preheat oven to 375F and line sheet pan with parchment or silpat.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the first 7 meatloaf ingredients; add ground turkey and mix until well combined.

3. Pat mixture into a meatloaf on lined sheet pan; bake for 50 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and top with marinara, cheese, and crushed parsley flakes; return to oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes to melt cheese.

5. Remove from oven and rest 10 minutes before serving.

Turkey and Vegetable Meatloaf

Don't let the fact that this meatloaf contains ground turkey scare you.  I know ground turkey is so lean that it can be dry, but this recipe contains a high concentration of vegetables, which not only adds incredibly flavor, but a great deal of moisture too.  I hope you'll give it a try.

To begin you'll need some roughly chopped carrots, onion, celery, mushrooms, and a few cloves of garlic.

Pulse in a food processor, in batches, until finely ground.

Tip: to keep the processor lid clean, drape a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl before placing the lid on. 

Like this.  Click the lid in place and pulse away.

When done, all the little bits that would have normally splashed up on the lid will now be on the plastic wrap instead.

And the lid will stay perfectly clean!  

Obviously, you wouldn't use this trick if you need to use the feed tube.  

Back to the veggies - process them until they look like this.   

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

Add the ground vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.  Don't be alarmed if you see some liquid releasing from the vegetables.

Oh, and don't forget to add the kosher salt and pepper to the vegetables as they cook.

After 10 minutes pass, the liquid will have evaporated and the color of the vegetables will have darkened a bit. 

Stir in the Italian seasoning and remove from the heat.

Allow the vegetables to cool a bit.  To speed up the process, spread them out on a sheet pan.

Time to mix everything together.  In a very large bowl, place the turkey, panko breadcrumbs, beaten egg, and worcestershire sauce.

..... and don't forget to add the cooled cooked vegetables. 

Mix everything together very well.  You don't want any unmixed clumps to remain. 

Place the meat mixture on the prepared sheet pan and shape into a loaf like this. 

In a small bowl, place ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard.

Whisk together well. 

Brush the ketchup mixture evenly over the top of the meatloaf and bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 165F is reached.  Rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• nonstick foil https://amzn.to/3bq7c11

• silicone pastry brush https://amzn.to/2WNM5R8

• instant read digital thermometer https://amzn.to/35TcgKd

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Turkey and Vegetable Meatloaf

makes 8 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 large carrots, chopped

• 2 ribs celery, chopped

• 6 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 pounds ground turkey

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a half sheet pan with nonstick foil.

2. Place onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely ground, processing in batches as needed.

3. In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook ground vegetables, salt, and pepper in oil for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until excess liquid evaporates and the color of the vegetables darken slightly.

4. Remove the vegetables from the heat, stir in the Italian seasoning, and allow the mixture to cool before proceeding.

5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled vegetable mixture, ground turkey, panko breadcrumbs, beaten eggs, and worcestershire sauce; mix very well until they are evenly distributed.

6. Place the turkey mixture on the prepared half sheet pan and shape into a loaf.

7. In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard; pour evenly over meatloaf.

8. Bake in center of preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until it reaches an internat temperature of 165F; rest for 10 minutes before serving.

adapted from laurainthekitchen.com