Ummm, YUM! A little less fat, all the flavor, still comforting and a great weeknight meal with plenty of leftovers
Weeknight Meal: BBQ Turkey Meatloaf, Creamy Mashed Cauliflower, Peas & Carrots with Dill
BBQ Turkey Meatloaf
Author: Chef Donna
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: American
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
A little less fat, all the flavor, still comforting and a great weeknight meal with plenty of leftovers
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- ½ half red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 tablespoons + ½ cup BBQ Sauce (your favorite bottled or make your own!)
- 2½ tablespoon water
- 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
- ¾ cups oats, old fashioned or quick cooking
- 1 pound ground turkey, dark meat
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Saute the Veggies: Heat a medium-sized saute pan over medium heat; add oil. When oil is heated add onions, red bell pepper, garlic, dried thyme and parsley; stir until vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes.
- Add paprika, Worcestershire sauce, salt/pepper. (Note: You want to "front load" most of your seasonings to avoid over-mixing the meat later. You can be generous, almost over-seasoning at this point anticipating the addition of the meat and the oats.) Scoop the hot veggie mixture into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
- Make the Sauce: Once the veggies have cooled in the bowl, add 5 tablespoons BBQ sauce, water and egg whites; mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the oats and combine thoroughly.
- Add the ground turkey to the sauce; using the wooden spoon or gloved hands, gently combine the meat and the sauce taking care to not over-mix. (Too much meat-handling will lead to a dry, tough loaf.)
- Cook the Loaf: At this point, you really don't have any idea how the loaf will actually taste. To take away the guess work, form a couple of teaspoons of the meat mixture into a patty and cook it off in the same pan you used to saute the veggies for 3-4 minutes. When cooked through, taste for seasonings and adjust the meat mixture to your liking. (I usually end up adding more BBQ sauce for a sweater, smokier taste!)
- When ready, scoop the meat mixture on to a foiled and oiled sheet pan and form into a loaf with gloved hands. (Sometimes, before shaping the loaf, I can tell the mixture is too soft and will not form. I then mix together about ⅓ cup of oats and 1 additional egg white with ¼ teaspoon salt and gradually add to meat mixture until just stiff enough.)
- Drizzle the remaining BBQ sauce on top of the loaf and spread into an even layer across the top and sides. I use a pastry brush.
- Bake in preheated oven uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
- Remove loaf from oven, cool slightly, slice and enjoy!