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Love meatloaf. Love, love, love meatloaf. I used to be scared of making it, but I can’t tell you why. Then I got over myself, and there is a turkey meatloaf in The Mom 100 Cookbook that has been made in my house (by me, just in case there was any confusion) more times than I can count.
Now I love meatloaf dearly, in large part because it’s one of those super flexible recipes that make me inspired to figure out what to do with that half a zucchini in the fridge, that leftover fresh thyme, in this case that feta cheese that had not made it into the Greek salad.
The Kalamata olives are only optional because Gary hates olives unless they are green, pimento-stuffed, and peering up at him from a vodka martini. If it were just up to me and the kids, there would be olives in almost everything.
Oh and by the way – this is a pretty huge meatloaf. A serves 8 to 10 meatloaf. You are welcome to divide the amount in half if you are not making it for a crowd, or you don’t yearn for leftover meatloaf. Though why anyone wouldn’t yearn for leftover meatloaf is not all that comprehensible to me. A slice of cold meatloaf for a mid-morning snack? Heaven.
My dear friend Christopher Idone would have sold his soul for a meatloaf sandwich, and he did give me credit for making him like turkey meatloaf, something he thought was essentially sacrilegious for the longest time.
Serve Greek Turkey Meatloaf with:
- Sautéed Kale and Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans with Tarragon Vinaigrette
- Best Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Chili Crunch Brussels Sprouts
Other Ground Turkey Recipes:
- Vegetable Studded Turkey Meatloaf
- Chipotle Barbecue Turkey Burgers
- Turkey Picadillo
- Buffalo Turkey Burger Sliders
- Taco Night
Greek Turkey Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- ½ cup roughly chopped kalamata olives optional
- 3 pounds ground turkey preferably a mixture of white and dark meat, or a blend of 85/15%
- ⅔ cup ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes until you can smell the garlic. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the two eggs with the salt and pepper. Stir in the bread crumbs and oregano, then add the can of tomatoes, the cooked vegetables, and the feta. It will be very gloppy. The add the turkey and use you hands to gently mix everything together until it’s all well blended; it will still be a soft mixture. Use you hand to form a rectangular loaf on the tray (see Make Ahead Note). Smear the top and sides with the ketchup.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until cooked through. You can turn the oven to broil if you like a nicely browned top and give it a couple of extra minutes. Let it cool on the tray for 15 minutes, then transfer carefully, using a couple of large spatulas, to a serving dish, or cut and serve right from the baking sheet.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is my mother in law’s favorite recipe, so I make it when she visits. I forgot how good it is! Thanks for an easy and tasty recipe that makes lots :)
I really enjoyed this and used this recipe to meal prep for my work week (and froze the leftovers for some other time). I served it with a lemon rice pilaf and homemade tzatziki and it was great. The only drawback I found is that the loaf didn’t keep it’s height while baking (I suppose I could’ve used a loaf pan, but so much liquid cooked out of it, I think it’s easier to freeform the loaf on a rimmed baking sheet to drain later). Will definitely make it again, but I think I will instead make the meat mixture into meatballs, sear them in my cast iron pan and then bake them until cooked through. This way I can also avoid covering it in ketchup (which I love normally, but the flavor didn’t work for me with all the greek spices).
It’s true that it’s a fairly flat meatloaf because there is a significant amount of moisture in it – which is also why it stays juicy! I like the meatball twist idea!
Was it just me or did the directions forget to “add the onions and carrots” to the mixing bowl before adding the turkey?
It’s cooking in my oven now and smells delicious.
Also, I put it in a meatloaf pan……
oh, shoot, that did drop off! Thanks for pointing out – hope it was delicious!
Thanks so much for this delicious looking recipe using Turkey Mince instead of Beef Mince as I’m on a Special Diet and this will be tested next week =)
Hi, Really enjoy your Mom100 cookbook and website too. Follow you on Twitter also. Ref. Greek Turkey Meatloaf recipe on website; Please fix:
Line 10 (include number of ounces. On line 22, change stie to stir. On line 26 change you, to your. Not trying to be difficult. Just trying to help.
thank you! will do!