Meatloaf, as long as it is made properly and not over cooked, is the quintessential comfort food. This meat loaf recipe is really good because it’s made using ground turkey, chopped vegetables, a box of stuffing mix, and a secret ingredient!
I do not recall my mom ever making meatloaf when I was growing up. She must have made it, but I either didn’t eat it or the memory is lost from my mind, because I really hate meatloaf. OK, that’s a strong word. I don’t like it at all, and I know why, too. It’s the ketchup. I dislike ketchup. (Sorry Heinz!)
I think ketchup is an insult to the palate. I keep ketchup in the house, using it on burgers, hot dogs and fries. Not mine, yours. But on anything else, ugh. AND, I’d probably keel over if you put ketchup on my delicious, creamy, soft scrambled eggs. But I digress.
It seems like most meatloaf is made with some form of tomato sauce or ketchup “topping” before it’s baked.
So 20+ years ago, when my mom made this meat loaf recipe, I refused to try it. “I don’t like meat loaf mom!” Of course, being my mom, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Guess what? I liked it. No, I loved it! Here’s why…NO KETCHUP! So if you like ketchup-y meatloaf, this is probably not the recipe for you. But if you’ve never acquired a taste for meatloaf, give this a try.
Of course, I used ground turkey, because I can do just about anything with a pound of ground turkey. I hadn’t made this for several years, so Sophie had never tried it. “I don’t like meatloaf”, She said. Of course me being me, I wouldn’t take no for an answer. She loved it. I made a double batch, because I knew everyone would want more. Emma had it for a ‘snack’ the following day and then again for dinner that night.
This meatloaf is light and fluffy due to the “secret” ingredient, club soda.
Mom's Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 - 20 ounce packages of ground turkey
- 1-2 onions chopped
- 2 stalks of celery sliced
- 1 package of turkey flavored Stove-Top stuffing mix OK, I know...but try it
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1 cup of plain club soda
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute onion and celery in a little olive oil until soft.
- In a large bowl mix eggs, stuffing mix and club soda together with your hands.
- Add ground turkey, sauteed vegetables and combine.
- To check the seasoning, I usually fry up a little bit, to make sure it's seasoned properly.
- Fill two greased loaf pans with meatloaf, do not pat down.
- Bake at 350* F. for about an hour. Let rest for about 15 minutes.
Serve the meatloaf with creamy mashed sweet potatoes and a delicious vegetable side dish, such as green beans.
Robin says
i made this for my family of meatloaf haters last night. It was super easy to make and everyone liked it. My super-picky daughter had 2 helpings!
Cynthia says
Thanks Robin!
darlene says
this looks good must try it i put mustard and ketchup in with my beef for a tangy flavour and pour stewed tomatoes over top the last 15 mins never tried it with turkey….thanks !!
Cynthia says
Darlene, let me know how you like it!
Ruth Cobb says
I season the meat with salt, pepper, Emeril’s essence, onions, garlic. The sauce for inside the meatloaf is catsup, beaten egg, worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, some herbs. Mix together as usual. I top it with a mixture of catsup, steak sauce, and worcestershire. I have also used some parmesan in the meatloaf or balls. Never tried the stuffing mix but have read about it before.
Mom made turkey meatballs and made a sort of sweet and sour sauce for them. They were so good.
Thanks for the recipe.
Cynthia says
Ruth, I’m not crazy about ketchup on meatloaf, which is why I love this version…it’s definitely more savory and not really sweet. Let me know how you like it if you try it!
Ruth Cobb says
I’ve made mine like mom used to. We did make a turkey meatball with a sweet and sour sauce a long time ago that was really good too.
I would like to try this one. It sounds good, looks good and would be a change of pace from the ordinary one we usually do.
Thank you for the recipe and I plan on trying it.
Ruth
Janice says
Looking for an alternative to the usual BIG Thanksgiving spread,,,but trying to serve a meal that still tasted like it,,,I chose this meatloaf. It was absolutely delicious & still filled the desire to have turkey & stuffing. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Cynthia says
Thank you Janice! You’re right it does have a “thanksgiving” feel to it! Glad you liked this!
Helen says
Can you cook it free form on a baking sheet
Helen says
Can you bake this free form on a sheet or caor do you need to use a loaf pan
Cynthia says
I’ve never baked it free form before, so I’m not sure! Sorry!
Sue says
What can I substitute for club soda? And still get the same results?
Cynthia says
Not sure…it’s the bubbles. Is there a concern about club soda?
TJ says
I have always hated meatloaf. Growing up my Mom always made it with ketcup on the top. Since my husband wasn’t a fan of his mother’s meatloaf as well, I went over 30 years of marriage never making meatloaf. When looking for something different to cook online, I came across this recipe. OMG! We both love this turkey meatloaf and now make it on a fairly regular basis. Thanks for sharing this!!!!!
Cynthia says
me too! I don’t like ketchup either. I refused to try this meatloaf when my mom made it for me when I was an adult…But when I tried it, I couldn’t get enough!
It made a meatloaf lover out of me!
christina gaffney says
I make a meatloaf similar to this our stove top(meatloaf) turkey loaf but this is the first i’ve seen club soda as an ingredient on the menu for the next week loaf and i’ll likely freeze the remaining club soda for future use (or maybe refrigerated it’ll keep)
I make my loaf in a cake pan or in the pressure cooker and brown it briefly. Because of my food allergies i have to avoid nightshade or aged or fungus foods sad as they really are my favorites but thank you for this post always need a new challenge
Cynthia says
Hi Christina, I was surprised by the addition of the club soda, but it really makes the meatloaf light and fluffy. Unlike some meatloaf recipes which I find really dense. No worries on the mushroom gravy, I put it there for the photo, I only make the mushroom gravy half of the time, it’s pretty delicious without it too!
Anna says
This is unbelievably good! I like it almost better than regular meatloaf!
Cynthia says
That is so wonderful to hear! Thank you!
Greta says
I substituted red pepper for the celery to give it added flavor and color. I also added a small clove of garlic. This was really good. I have a picky eater that prefers everything with beef and he liked it too!
Cynthia says
Sounds delicious! Glad you tailored it to meet your family’s tastes.
Rita Lugrine says
Hi. What does the club soda do for the meatloaf? I usually use dark meat turkey and it’s not so dry. Thanks Rita
Cynthia says
Sorry, Just seeing this comment! The club soda makes it really light and fluffy!
I use just plain ground turkey which is a combination of both dark and light.
Penelope says
One of my favorites! I also add fresh thyme and serve it with cauliflower mash and gravy. This is a regular dish in my house
Cynthia says
the cauliflower mash and gravy are a great addition! glad you liked it!