GROUND TURKEY LOAF

Ground Turkey Loaf

Not a beef loaf made with ground turkey

I know what you are thinking. There is no way to make a meatloaf with ground turkey and have it taste good. And I know where you are coming from. I have proven that’s true time and time again. But then I stopped trying to make ground turkey taste like a beef meatloaf dinner and decided to make a loaf that tastes like a turkey dinner. And it worked. This loaf doesn’t taste anything like your average meatloaf made with ground beef. In this recipe I wake up the mild flavor of turkey by using ingredients I use in turkey stuffing. If you can’t beat them, join them.

Why use ground turkey?

I bet you know the answer. The label very prominently boasts that it is 93% fat free. That can be a very big deal if you are trying to limit saturated fats and their calories. But we all know, a healthier choice doesn’t make it’s way to your dinner table a second time if it doesn’t taste good too. And this alternative to a ground beef loaf stands out all on it’s own. In fact, this loaf tastes better than most meatloaf I have had. Really!

If you like the flavors of a traditional poultry stuffing, you are going to like this loaf. You will make it again because it tastes good, not because it is good for you.

Let’s get right to it

Here’s what YOU WILL NEED:

About the ingredients

Oatmeal vs breadcrumbs

We are using oatmeal soaked in chicken broth as a binder. One reason is to add some moisture to the loaf. Breadcrumbs soak up fat when making a beef meatloaf or meatball recipe. But ground turkey has very little fat to soak up. We don’t want to add something that will make the loaf dry. By using oatmeal first soaked in chicken broth we are adding some non-fat moisture. Another advantage of using oatmeal is you are omitting the gluten that is in breadcrumbs.

Chicken broth

We are using chicken broth to soak the oatmeal to enhance the poultry taste in the loaf.

Why scallions

We used scallions because of their mild flavor. Ground turkey does not have a dominant flavor on it’s own. Scallions don’t become a stand out flavor as much as some onions may. So what if you don’t have scallions? Use about 1/3 cup of finely minced onions. You can use any onion you have on hand.

Bell’s Seasoning

Bell’s seasoning is the star of the show in this recipe. It pulls all the weight when it comes to flavor. There is no substitute that would give you the same flavor.

Do you recognize the yellow box in our ingredients picture? Well, whether you recognize the box or not, most of us will recognize the flavor. It is the flavor of Thanksgiving stuffing. There are imposters out there, and I have even tried making a poultry seasoning of my own with homegrown herbs, but there’s nothing like Bell’s Seasoning.

It just so happens that the company that makes Bell’s Seasoning is a local family owned business in our area. Ricky even knows a member of the extended family. Bell’s has a rich history. The seasoning has been around for 150 years and the recipe has never changed! It’s that good.

You can read all about the beginnings of this renowned spice on their website https://bellsfoods.com/about/. You will find not just their history, the site also has dozens of recipes to use their seasoning in.

This is WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Soak the Oatmeal

Chop the vegetables

Mix

When mixed, the turkey loaf mixture is very moist. Don’t worry. It’s all going to firm up when it is cooked.

Put mixture in a loaf pan

Cook for 1 hour

When the ground turkey loaf comes out of the oven, there will be some fat that has rendered out. It is whitish in color. When you lift it out of the pan, most of it will just fall away. A ground beef meatloaf comes out of the oven literally swimming in fat, even if you use a lower fat content.

Let the loaf rest in the pan for at least 15 minutes so it firms up.

Slice an Serve