We’ve been making this recipe for as long as I can remember…which is funny because neither one of us particularly liked meatloaf growing up.  But this meatloaf has a nice twist and is quite a bit healthier since it’s made with ground turkey instead of ground beef.  It’s been dedicated to memory by now but here is the general approach below:

1 ¼ lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
sprinkling of dried red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like things)

1 bag of fresh baby spinach sauteed with a bit of oil and garlic and cooled (or 1 box frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry)
1 cup shredded mozarella

2 TBS ketchup & 2 TBS yellow mustard mixed together with a dash of worcestershire sauce and horseradish if you have it

Preheat oven to 350°

Mix together ground turkey with next 7 ingredients in a large bowl.  Mixture should be moist but not soupy or wet…adjust using more breadcrumbs or a bit of water (or good balsamic vinegar which is what I prefer if I need more moisture) if needed.   Split mixture into two halves and press one of the halves into a greased loaf pan.

Next, spread spinach and mozzarella on top of meat in the pan.  Finish meatloaf by pressing the 2nd half of the meat on top firmly.  Spread ketchup mixture on top of the meatloaf.  Bake in oven for about 1 hour or until baked through (internal temperature of 165°).

Let meatloaf rest for 5 minutes, slice into ½ inch slices and serve with a side vegetable and/or grain.

Of course, there are many ways you can jazz up this basic recipe.  Some things we’ve done in the past: sauté up some onions and garlic and add it right into meat mixture (after they cool), add roasted red peppers to the filling, etc..  Have fun with it and make it your own!