This turkey meatloaf is so impressive, you can even serve it to company on special occasions. Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis's Turkey Meatloaf with Pancetta recipe, this turkey meatloaf recipe is every bit as tasty as the original, with just a few minor tweaks (substituting red pepper and onion for the sun-dried tomatoes, for example).
This meatloaf recipe calls for pancetta, which is Italian bacon that is cured, but not smoked. If you can't find pancetta or if pancetta is too expensive for your budget, simply substitute regular bacon (preferably nitrate-free).
Serve this turkey meatloaf with pesto-stuffed tomatoes, scalloped potatoes with cheese and fresh green beans with sea salt for a real homestyle dinner. And either Ghirardelli chocolate brownies or berry chocolate oatmeal cookies would make an excellent dessert with this meatloaf.
This meatloaf recipe is also easy to make ahead and freeze. Just bake it, let it cool completely and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and a ziploc storage bag for the best results.
Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium red pepper, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp. non-fat milk
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 10 slices thinly-sliced pancetta (Italian bacon)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the red pepper and onion and cook until the vegetables are softened, about five minutes. Set aside to cool.
Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly (your hands work well for this job). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the meat mixture into a loaf on the parchment paper. Cut the pancetta into strips, approximately 1-inch side. Top the meatloaf with the pancetta strips in a criss-cross pattern.
Bake in preheated oven 45 to 50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 165 degrees. Remove from oven and allow meatloaf to rest 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 316 calories, 19 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 158 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 26 g protein, 10% vitamin A, 50% vitamin C, 8% calcium, 14% iron
You may also be interested in these healthy recipes:
- Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf
- Meatloaf with Vegetable Relish
- Turkey Croquettes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Turkey Hash
- Chicken Pot Pie
