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.
- 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
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Saute onion and celery in a little olive oil until soft.
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In a large bowl mix eggs, stuffing mix and club soda together with your hands.
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Add ground turkey, sauteed vegetables and combine.
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To check the seasoning, I usually fry up a little bit, to make sure it's seasoned properly.
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Fill two greased loaf pans with meatloaf, do not pat down.
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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
March 21, 2012 at 7:05 ami 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
March 21, 2012 at 3:01 pmThanks Robin!
darlene says
May 13, 2013 at 5:40 pmthis 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
May 13, 2013 at 7:45 pmDarlene, let me know how you like it!
Ruth Cobb says
June 6, 2013 at 6:34 amI 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
June 6, 2013 at 4:01 pmRuth, 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
June 7, 2013 at 7:11 amI’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
November 23, 2018 at 4:33 amLooking 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
November 25, 2018 at 5:44 pmThank you Janice! You’re right it does have a “thanksgiving” feel to it! Glad you liked this!
Helen says
March 18, 2019 at 10:08 amCan you cook it free form on a baking sheet
Helen says
March 19, 2019 at 10:06 amCan you bake this free form on a sheet or caor do you need to use a loaf pan
Cynthia says
March 19, 2019 at 6:23 pmI’ve never baked it free form before, so I’m not sure! Sorry!