Turkey Meatloaf Recipe Ingredients
- Ground turkey: To keep it lean, go with 93% if you want it richer use 85%. I recommend using Jenni-O brand since its less wet and sticky and therefor easier to work with.
- Olive oil: You can use another neutral oil such as vegetable oil, avocado oil, canola oil, etc.
- Yellow onion and garlic: These help build up background flavor. Here we saute and brown slightly for softness and extra flavor.
- Bread crumbs: Homemade is preferred if you have them but store-bought works fine too. Only use dry bread crumbs not fresh.
- Chicken broth: Regular or low-sodium is fine since its a small amount. Vegetable broth or even milk could be substituted.
- Parmesan cheese: Be sure to shred finely. Dont use powdered parmesan from the shelf, it doesnt taste near as good.
- Worcestershire sauce: A key ingredient in meatloaf. It adds rich depth of flavor.
- Ketchup: This is used both in the loaf mixture for moisture and topping for the classic finish and taste.
- Dijon mustard: This helps amp up the flavor since turkey is milder than beef.
- Parsley and thyme: If you dont have fresh parsley you can use 1 Tbsp dried. Then for the thyme you can use fresh in place of dried, use 1 1/2 tsp.
- Whole egg and egg yolk: I like to limit the egg white and only use 1 whole egg plus an additional yolk so meatloaf isnt dry.
- Salt and pepper: Ive listed recommended amounts since obviously you should never taste test raw meat. Upon serving you can season slices with a little more salt if desired.
Turkey Meatloaf Cook Time:
Turkey meatloaf needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit for food safety. This should take approximately 1 hour for a two pound meatloaf baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if you use more than 2 pounds you dont need to double your cooking time. Add approximately 30 minutes for each additional pound of turkey.
How To Cook Turkey Meatloaf In The Oven
There are many recipes for ground turkey meatloaf baked in the oven. However, I like to follow this one easy recipe for turkey meatloaf. Before you start, go to the store and grab 1 pound of ground turkey, breadcrumbs, eggs, shredded vegetables, tomato sauce, butter, and seasonings. And heres how to cook turkey meatloaf in the oven.
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What Other Temperatures To Bake Turkey Meatloaf In The Oven
Turkey meatloaf can be a difficult dish to get correct, so the temperatures you cook this dish at shouldnt vary too much. If you want to cook the turkey meatloaf faster, consider trying 400 degrees. Just know that cooking anything at a higher temperature will result in drier food and potentially crunchy vegetables in your meatloaf. Also keep in mind that all of these recommendations are for a meatloaf made with one pound of ground turkey. Making a larger meatloaf will add around 15-20 minutes more bake time per pound. If you want a more moist ground turkey meatloaf, use 350 degrees to cook it. Cooking at a lower temperature will help to retain more moisture in your turkey meatloaf, but the time you have to wait will increase, and youll have to keep checking to make sure its fully cooked.
How To Make A Moist Turkey Meatloaf
To make a moist turkey meatloaf, use lower cooking temperature of 350 degrees or below. A low cooking temperature retains more moisture in your turkey meatloaf as it can cook the meatloaf more evenly. Mixing with high moisture content ingredients like vegetables to your ground turkey increase the moisture content within the meatloaf and help to make the turkey meatloaf more moist in the end.
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Can I Freeze This
You can freeze baked or unbaked meatloaf. Once baked, simply wrap up the cooled meatloaf in plastic wrap and then tin foil and freeze for 3 months. Thaw before reheating. If unbaked, hold off brushing the ketchup mixture onto the shaped loaf, then flash freeze it on a lined sheet pan before wrapping it to freeze. Thaw the meatloaf, add the ketchup mixture, and bake as directed when ready to eat.
How To Soak Up Grease From Meatloaf:
Were using a simple trick to absorb the grease and liquid that releases as the meatloaf bakes!
Two pieces of sandwich bread placed under your meatloaf while baking will soak up all that extra liquid and fat. They easily peel right off after slicing.
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How Long To Cook A Meatloaf At 375
Answer
How long to cook a meatloaf at 375 degrees is a question thats asked by many. Some people think it should only be cooked for about 40 minutes, while others think it could last up to an hour. The key is to find the right recipe for your needs and cook the meatloaf according to its instructions.
What Goes Well With Turkey Meatloaf
To make turkey meatloaf, you have to mix together a bunch of ingredients. This means that you can get creative with what you add to your dish. Pick some of your favorite ingredients and add them in to make a tastier meatloaf. An example would be olives or corn if you like these vegetables, mix them in so that you can enjoy them in every bite. Just remember that meatloaf is typically a communal dish, so try not to add ingredients that someone else wont enjoy. Ultimately, the reins are in your hands, add a bunch of new items or keep it simple, its up to you! I hope we have made things a little easier so that you can now feel confident in cooking a turkey meatloaf that will easily blow everyone away!
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How To Make Turkey Meatloaf:
Combine: Add ground turkey, stuffing mix, milk, Parmesan, onion, pepper, egg, salt, and garlic to the bowl and combine with your hands until well mixed!
Shape: Place two slices of sandwich bread on a sheet pan and form the meatloaf right over the bread. The bread helps to soak up any liquid/grease from the meatloaf. Pop in a hot oven for 30 minutes.
Meatloaf Sauce: In a small bowl mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce. Remove the meatloaf from the oven after baking 30 minutes and then generously brush the meatloaf sauce over the top!
Finish: After adding the sauce return the turkey meatloaf to the oven and continue baking for another 30 minutes. The sauce will caramelize while it bakes for loads of flavor! Slice and serve!
Interesting Food History: Old
Bon Appétit ran a great article a few years ago about the history of meatloaf, which is actually really interesting. Arguably, the first precursors of what our essential American comfort food began as a medieval dish that used up meat scraps.
Modern American meatloafs origins date roughly to the 1870s, with recipes for seasoned, baked scrap meat. These scraps would have been most often beef, since cows were slaughtered before winter made feeding them more difficult.
Meatloaf became increasingly popular in the 1890s with the rise of industrial meatpacking, and into the 1920s and 1930s. In this period, the Great Depression demanded that meat stretch as far as possible, as inexpensively as possible. Ground meat made an inexpensive dinner that minimized waste. By the 1950s, meatloaf had made its way into popular cookbooks, and became the popular and ubiquitous comfort food we all know.
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What Temperature Should The Inside Of The Meatloaf Be
The recipe for making meatloaf will tell you how long to bake it.
But it might not also tell you that the meatloaf is fully cooked and safe to eat when the temperature inside is 160 degrees F.
A recipe wont always consider your oven, pan, or how you shaped the loaf. This is when the trusted thermometer with an instant-read feature comes in handy.
Take the meatloaf out of the oven 15 minutes before the recipe says it will be done and check its temperature.
When you take the meatloaf out of the oven and close the door, the temperature stays more stable.
Note: When you put the meatloaf back in the oven, it won't take long for the temperature to return to 350 degrees F.
How To Make Mozzarella Stuffed Meatloaf
Sheet pan meals are seriously a life saver for me. I love to cook, but I do not love to clean up after I cook. I love to throw everything on a sheet pan, bake it all up, and then only have the sheet pan and maybe a bowl or two to clean up after.
- Make the vegetables. Coat the potatoes and green beans in olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Place the vegetables on the sheet pan and spread them out evenly. Set the pan aside.
- Make the meatloaf. To a large bowl, add all of the meatloaf ingredients except for the cheese. Only add in 2 tablespoons of the ketchup. Stir that all up with a spatula or your hands .
- Stuff the meatloaf. Shape the meatloaf mixture into 4-6 small meatloaves then stuff them with some of the mozzarella cheese cubes, make sure the mozzarella isnt sticking out of the meat. If you dont cover the cheeser with the meat it will spill out of the meatloaf into a sad and sticky cheesy puddle.
- Bake. Place the mini meatloaves on the sheet pan around the vegetables and brush the remaining ketchup over the top of the loaves. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the mini meatloaves are cooked through .
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Turkey Meatloaf Ingredient Notes:
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Ground Turkey A bit more lean and more economical than beef! Well season it well so that its packed with flavor.
Binder We use dry Stove Top Stuffing as the binder in this meatloaf. Makes it super moist and adds flavor. While you could sub with bread crumbs or oats, the turkey meatloaf wont be as moist or as well-seasoned.
Veggies Im adding some diced onion and green pepper to this turkey meatloaf. Chop them pretty small to avoid big chunks.
Seasoning Keep it simple with some salt, pepper, and garlic powder! The stuffing is already seasoned and well add a sweet and tangy sauce on top for even more flavor.
Meatloaf Sauce Youll need ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Bakes up thick, sweet, tangy, and irresistible.
Bread After shaping, well place the meatloaf of bread slices to soak up any liquid that releases. Optional, but keeps the pan looking nice and the bread can be eaten or discarded.
How To Make The Best Turkey Meatloaf
A great meatloaf is a 1. moist and 2. tender meatloaf with layers of complex flavor.
The secrets to moist meatloaf are:
- Use meat that is 93% lean or less, never more.
- Include liquid like milk or chicken broth.
- Add eggs, which make the turkey meatloaf moist and keep it from falling apart.
- Be gentle with the meat. If you compact it, your meatloaf will be tough.
- Do not overcook the meatloafbake turkey meatloaf until an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees F, then let it rest.
The secrets to flavorful meatloaf are:
- Take your time caramelizing the onions.
- Add finely chopped mushrooms. You cant taste them but they really boost the umami factor and make this recipe special.
- Include simple but powerful enhancers: smoked paprika and Worcestershire sauce.
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Lipton Onion Soup Meatloaf Recipe Ingredients:
- Ground meat this can be beef, turkey, ground pork, or a mix of a few
- Dry onion soup mix any brand would work in a pinch, but I prefer Lipton for this key ingredient
- Eggs they help hold it all together
- Ketchup I ama Heinze gal
- Worcestershire sauce this really makes for a flavorful meatloaf
- Italian panko bread crumbs using these instead of plain bread crumbs is my secret ingredient for this easy meatloaf recipe
How Do I Know If My Meatloaf Is Done Without A Thermometer
There are a few clues that can help. First, the center of your loaf will likely be very dry and overcooked, as opposed to cooked through. Second, the loaf should be tightly wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic
wrap and stored at a cool place for 30 minutes before serving. Finally, dont forget to give your meatloaf a final stir before serving!
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What Temperature Is A 2 Pound Meatloaf Done
While there are many factors to consider when cooking meats, including the type of meat, the temperature at which it should be cooked is typically one of the most important.
The average human body can only hold around 135 degrees Fahrenheit, so any meat that is cooked at a lower temperature will generally be more tender and flavorful. For example, a 2-pound beef
tenderloin should be cooked at about 145 degrees Fahrenheit, while a 2-pound pork tenderloin should be cooked at about 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meatloaf Tips And Variations:
- Dont overwork the meat. Just like making meatballs, if you over work the meat it will become more dense. Its best to gently mix all the ingredients until just mixed in.
- Make it faster! If I want to make this quicker, I will make them into four smaller loaves and cook it for about 25 to 30 minutes. You can also make it in cupcake tins like I do in this Cupcake Meatloaf with Mashed Potato Frosting.
- Add heat! If you want to spice things up you can add some chipotle or sriracha to the ketchup.
- Use beef. If you prefer beef, swap the turkey for a lean beef around 90% lean.
- Make it low-carb or grain-free. Swap the breadcrumbs out for equal amounts of almond meal.
- Make it with oats. Swap the breadcrumbs out for equal amounts of rolled oats.
- BBQ Sauce. Replace the ketchup glaze with BBQ sauce to give it a smokey flavor.
- Make it juicier. I often use 93% lean for a juicier turkey meatloaf.
- Make it for Meal Prep! Double the recipe, make two and freeze one for another night.
- Leftovers. Leftovers are great for sandwiches. Refrigerate 3 to 4 days.
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How Long Does It Take To Cook A 1lb Meatloaf
Cooking a 1-pound meatloaf is typically not that difficult, but it will take some time. It can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to cook the meatball-sized loaf.Cooking a 1-pound meatloaf is typically not that difficult, but it will take some time.
It can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half to cook the meatball-sized loaf.
How Can You Tell Whether Turkey Meatloaf Has Been Cooked Completely
Insert the thermometer into the meatloafs middle to check its temperature. When the meatloaf hits 160 degrees, its done.
If you dont have a thermometer, use a metal fork.
Final Verdict
Turkey meatloaf temp and time? The turkey meatloaf should be baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a normal oven.
A fair rule of 20 to 45 minutes per pound of meat might vary depending on the size.
The temperature of the oven has a significant impact on cooking times. Meatloaves baked in a regular muffin tray take 30 minutes to prepare.
The most important part of making a perfect meatloaf is to let it rest.
Once its out of the oven, let it sit for at least ten minutes before slicing into it.
This allows all flavors to meld together and results in a juicier, tastier meatloaf. Serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy!
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How To Make Ahead Meal Prep Store & Freeze:
- To Make Ahead: Bake the turkey meatloaf fully, bring it to room temperature, and place it in an airtight container. When ready to serve, heat it in a 325 degrees F oven for 10-15 minutes or until warmed thoroughly. Spread it with the glaze and broil for 5-7 minutes.
- To Meal Prep: Make it for meal prep by simply doubling the recipe and baking each loaf on two baking sheets. Enjoy one for dinner and completely cool, slice, and freeze the other in an airtight container or plastic freezer storage bag with small squares of parchment between each slice. To reheat, bake in a 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until thoroughly warmed through.
- To Store Leftovers: Bring leftovers to room temperature and place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days. Slice and make into sandwiches for lunch throughout the week.
- To Freeze: Bring it to room temperature. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze for up to a month. To thaw, let it defrost in the fridge overnight. When ready to serve, bake in a 350-degree oven until warmed thoroughly.
Should I Put Parchment Paper Under My Meatloaf
If youre looking tosave space on your oven, parchment paper may be a good option.Parchment paper is made of paper that has been treated with a petroleum-based solvent.
This means that it cant handle temperatures high enough to cause the bread to cook evenly, so it needs to be placedunderneath your meatloaf before cooking.
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