Meatloaf is one of our comfort foods. This Turkey Meatloaf is topped with Bacon. The substitution of hamburger for ground turkey is full of flavor and the whole family will love it!!!
Grandma's Meatloaf
I grew up on a Dairy farm and one of my favorite meals as a kid was meatloaf, mashed potatoes and sweet corn (we never had green vegetables . . . my Dad didn't like them!!). So of course when Amy and Josh were little, I made sure they tried some of my favorite foods. They always loved It did take me a long time to figure out I couldn't eat the same foods I ate growing up on the farm. We had over 90 heads of cows and at least 20 heads of horses (more about this later) and we were busy all the time. I found as an adult, working in a large corporation, you really don't move nearly as much as working on a farm!Turkey Meatloaf Topped with Bacon
It's been a busy week and was cooler outside so we decided we needed a meatloaf fix. The last time we made meatloaf we weren't on a diet. So this time, we took Grandma's meatloaf recipe and transformed it into a lower-fat version. We found Turkey Meatloaf is of course a lot lower in calories, and surprisingly, just as good and satisfying as Grandmas recipe . Also, since it's lower in calories we can actually eat more!!!! YAY! We still love Grandma's meatloaf recipe, it also has BACON, and have added it so you can try it for the beef lovers in your life.
Turkey Meatloaf Tips and Tricks:
There are a few tricks we have learned from making this turkey meatloaf recipe a few times now:
- Make sure to coarsely chop the vegetables that go in the meatloaf. I've tried to cut corners by putting the peppers and onions in the Cuisinart to chop them. It works, but I think the meatloaf doesn't hold together as well, and everything has the same texture. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Cuisinart, just not for this recipe!
- You'll see in the recipe, we add one egg AND one egg white. This binds the meatloaf just as well as using 2 eggs AND saves about 55 calories. Yes, the yolk contains most of the vitamins and nutrients, but because we saved a few calories, we can have just a little bigger slice of meatloaf. Did I tell you this is one of my favorite foods?!?
- When mixing the meat and veggies together to combine the meatloaf, I start by using a spoon. After it's slightly mixed, I've found it really works better to use your hands to fully combine the loaf. If you have kids, they can also help. This step is a good time for them to get their hands dirty. My kids have great memories of helping in the kitchen. They used to love to help and were always more willing to try foods they helped make.
- BACON! Adding bacon to the top of the turkey meatloaf, not only adds BACON, it also infuses the BACON flavor into the meatloaf as it cooks. . .Yummy!!! WARNING: Watch out when you put this turkey meatloaf on the table- someone will try to steal the bacon off the top. It really is so gooooooood!
Who doesn't love leftover Meatloaf?
National meatloaf day is October 18 so hopefully you'll enjoy one of the versions on our site. Remember, it's always fun to make twice as much as you need for dinner. There is nothing better than leftover meatloaf sandwiches on white bread with mayonnaise.
Check out our leftover section and don't forget to let us know which meatloaf recipe you like the best. Yummy!!!!
One of my favorite recipes to make with meatloaf is potato au-gratin.
Turkey Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground turkey We use 99% fat-free
- 5 ½ Ounces Sausage
- 2 Eggs
- ½ Green bell pepper
- ½ Red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper
- ½ Onion
- ½ Cup Sugar-free ketchup
- ½ Cup Seasoned bread crumbs We prefer garlic herb bread crumbs
- 1 ½ teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper Less if you don't like pepper
- 4 Slices Bacon
- ½ Tablespoon Brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Coarsely chop the green pepper, red pepper, and onion
- In a large bowl mix together ground turkey, sausage, eggs, green and red bell peppers, ketchup, bread crumbs, eggs, and salt and pepper.
- Mix together (works best if you use your hands).
- Form the mixture into a loaf size. Transfer to a loaf pan or casserole dish.
- Add Bacon to the top of the meatloaf. Sprinkle brown sugar over the bacon. This helps crisp the bacon and gives it a sweet flavor.
- Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees and the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 185 degrees
- Slice and enjoy! Goes great with mashed potatoes and broccoli, as pictured. Also, don't forget meatloaf sandwiches the next day!
Please let us know what you think