Turkey Meatloaf with Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze
by Pam on February 20, 2013
This is another recipe I found in my The Best Light Recipe cookbook by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated. The method they used to make the meatloaf intrigued me but I was nervous that the turkey meatloaf would turn out dry and tasteless… I couldn’t have been more wrong. This truly was one of the best meatloaves I have ever made. Seriously. The key is to use 93% lean ground turkey (both white/dark meat) instead of all turkey breast. Another key factor was using homemade bread crumbs and milk. This meatloaf was flavorful, tender, moist, and so delicious. I served it with Creamy Mashed Potatoes[1] and Pan Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Parmesan[2]. It was a healthy and comforting dinner that was full of flavor without any guilt. I love that!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil then place a wire rack on top. Fold a piece of tin foil into a 10 x 6 inch rectangle and place on top of the wire rack; set aside.
Chop some leftover rustic bread into cubes (I used roasted garlic bread) making sure to slice the bottom of the loaf off first (it’s too hard for breadcrumbs). Once the bread is in cubes, place into a food processor, and pulse until you have fine bread crumbs.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened; about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Whisk together the milk, egg, thyme, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste in a small bowl. In another large bowl, mix the turkey, bread crumbs, parsley, cooked onion mixture, and egg mixture together with your hands until uniformly combined. Press the mixture together into a compact mass, then turn it out onto the foil rectangle on top of the wire rack. Using your hands, press the meat into an evenly thick loaf about 2 inches tall and 1 inch smaller than the foil on all sides.
Stir the ketchup, sugar, and vinegar together, then brush half of the mixture evenly over the meatloaf.
Bake the meatloaf for 45 minutes. Brush the meatloaf with a bit more glaze, and continue to bake until the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees with a meat thermometer, about 15-20 minutes longer. Cool at least 10-15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy.
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Turkey Meatloaf with Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze
Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 60 min.
Total Time: 70 min.
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of 2% milk
1 large egg
1 tsp thyme
1 Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 1/4 lbs 93% lean ground turkey (not all turkey breast)
1/2 cup + 2 1/2 tbsp fresh bread crumbs
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of ketchup
2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil then place a wire rack on top. Fold a piece of tin foil into a 10 x 6 inch rectangle and place on top of the wire rack; set aside.
Chop some leftover rustic bread into cubes (I used roasted garlic bread) making sure to slice the bottom of the loaf off first (it’s too hard for breadcrumbs). Once the bread is in cubes, place into a food processor, and pulse until you have fine bread crumbs.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened; about 5-7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Whisk together the milk, egg, thyme, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste in a small bowl. In another large bowl, mix the turkey, bread crumbs, parsley, cooked onion mixture, and egg mixture together with your hands until uniformly combined. Press the mixture together into a compact mass, then turn it out onto the foil rectangle on top of the wire rack. Using your hands, press the meat into an evenly thick loaf about 2 inches tall and 1 inch smaller than the foil on all sides.
Stir the ketchup, sugar, and vinegar together, then brush half of the mixture evenly over the meatloaf. Bake the meatloaf for 45 minutes. Brush the meatloaf with a bit more glaze, and continue to bake until the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees with a meat thermometer, about 15-20 minutes longer. Cool at least 10-15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy.
Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking
Original recipe by The Best Light Recipe cookbook by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated