Turkey Meatloaf

Meatloaf is rarely considered glamorous, but I’m not ashamed to say it’s one of my favorite meals. As a child, I’d jump at the opportunity to order meatloaf when I saw it on a menu. In my opinion, there are few things more wholesome than a slice of meatloaf over a buttery pile of mashed potatoes. As an adult, I sub in turkey for the traditional mixture of red meat and serve my meatloaf with a silky cauliflower puree, to create a dish that is much leaner but just as comforting.  

In this recipe, I’ve included a few tips from the brilliant J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. First, I use unflavored gelatin in my meatloaf mixture. Ground turkey can often turn out tough and dry when cooked. Adding gelatin to the turkey mixture replicates the effect of a richer piece of meat and results in an extremely moist and tender meatloaf. I’ve also implemented Kenji’s trick of microwaving a small portion of the meatloaf mixture to ensure it’s properly seasoned. This is a game changer—you’ll never eat a bland meatloaf again.

Serves 6.

·      2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

·      2 tablespoons unsalted butter

·      1 white onion—finely diced

·      1/2 cup milk

·      1 packet unflavored gelatin

·      10 ounces cremini mushrooms—finely diced

·      3 cloves garlic—minced

·      3 tablespoons tomato paste

·      ½ cup chicken broth

·      2 tablespoons soy sauce

·      3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

·      1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·      1 teaspoon smoked paprika

·      ¾ cup fresh or panko breadcrumbs

·      2 eggs

·      2 pounds ground turkey

·      1 tablespoon salt

·      ½ cup ketchup

1.     Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.     In a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, cook the onions over medium-low heat until translucent, but not browned, approximately 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they’ve softened and released all of their liquid—about 10 minutes.

3.     While the onions and mushrooms cook, add the milk to a mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Let sit.

4.     Add the garlic and tomato paste to the onion mixture and cook until the tomato paste has darkened and is beginning to stick to the pan, about 4 minutes.

5.     Add the chicken broth to the onion mixture, scraping to deglaze the pan. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, smoked paprika, milk and gelatin mixture, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly reduced, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

6.     Once the onion mixture is cool enough to handle, add it to a mixing bowl with breadcrumbs, turkey, salt, and eggs. With clean hands, mix gently until everything is thoroughly combined and homogeneous; it will be fairly loose. Pull off a teaspoon-sized portion of the mixture, place it on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave it on high power until cooked through, about 15 seconds. Taste the cooked piece for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper as desired.

7.     Transfer the mixture to a glass casserole dish and spread the ketchup in an even layer across the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. Serve warm.